What Chariton Community School District does

Chariton Community School District is a public K-12 school district and political subdivision of the State of Iowa, operating under an elected five-member School Board and led by Superintendent Brad Baker. The district enrolls approximately 1,300 students across preschool through 12th grade at five attendance centers (Preschool, Columbus Elementary, Van Allen Elementary, Middle School, and High School), all located in Chariton, Iowa, with a service area that also includes the towns of Russell, Lucas, and Williamson in Lucas County. Core offerings span general academics, career and technical education (agriculture, business and marketing, family and consumer sciences, health science, industrial technology, construction technology), athletics, and the Charger Manufacturing welding program, supplemented by support services including food services, transportation, and special education. The 2024-25 adoption of the Capturing Kids' Hearts social-emotional learning curriculum and the 2025-2026 Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase Schools District Award reflect current programmatic priorities around culture and student connectedness.

The district's revenue model is non-commercial and tax-based: it draws on local property taxes within Lucas County, the state-administered SAVE (Secure an Advanced Vision for Education) penny sales tax, a voter-approved PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) of up to $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, state special education modified allowable growth and supplemental aid (approximately $255,820.08 in FY 2022-2023), and federal grants (including ESSER funding). Education services are provided free to resident students; Iowa open enrollment also permits inbound non-resident students (March 1 deadline for grades 1-12; September 1 for kindergarten).

The technology stack consists of commodity K-12 software: Infinite Campus as the student information system, Google Workspace for productivity, ParentSquare for two-way parent-school communication (launched August 2023), HealthePro for digital menus, Simbli for board policy and meeting management, and a Neapolitan Labs-hosted website. Recent capital and operational investments — including Reynolds Field synthetic turf, Van Allen Elementary playground replacement, HVAC upgrades at both elementary schools, window replacement, and High School science classroom renovations funded primarily through ESSER — indicate a capital reinvestment cycle rather than a growth-expansion cycle. There is no evidence of proprietary technology development or AI/ML capability.

Name

Chariton Community School District

Legal name

Chariton Community School District

Website

https://charitonschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Chariton Community School District is a public K-12 school district in Lucas County, Iowa, serving approximately 1,300 PK-12 students across five attendance centers in Chariton, Russell, Lucas, and Williamson, funded by property taxes and state aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Child Care Services (62441), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Career technical education
• Special education services
• Student transportation
• Social emotional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chariton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Local property tax collections from residents in Lucas County
2. State Funding (SAVE/Secure Advanced Vision for Education): State penny sales tax funds dedicated to public schools, used for building maintenance and property tax relief
3. PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy): Voted levy for facility improvements, grounds enhancement, and equipment lease-purchase up to $1.34 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation
4. State Special Education Funding: Modified allowable growth and supplemental aid for special education deficit, approximately $255,820.08 for FY 2022-2023

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chariton Community School District provides public preschool through 12th-grade education to approximately 1,300 students across five attendance centers in Chariton, Iowa, serving the towns of Chariton, Russell, Lucas, and Williamson in Lucas County. Core offerings include core academic instruction at each grade level, career and technical education programs (agriculture, business/marketing, family and consumer sciences, health science, industrial technology, construction technology), special education services, food services, transportation, and the Capturing Kids' Hearts social-emotional learning program. The district also operates the Charger Manufacturing welding/manufacturing program and provides athletic and extracurricular programs.

Product overview

Chariton Community School District is a public school district serving approximately 1,300 students in PK-12th grades across five attendance centers (Preschool, Columbus Elementary, Van Allen Elementary, Middle School, and High School) in Chariton, Iowa. The district offers core educational programs at each level along with career and technical education programs including Agriculture Education, Business and Marketing Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Health Science Education, Industrial Technology, and Construction Technology. Additional programs include the Charger Manufacturing (welding/manufacturing) program, a Social Emotional Learning program (Capturing Kids' Hearts for 2024-25), and support services including food services, transportation, and special education. The district also operates various athletic and extracurricular programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Program Public early childhood education program serving pre-kindergarten students in the Chariton Community School District.
• Columbus Elementary Public elementary school education for district students, located in Chariton, Iowa, recognized as a 2025-2026 Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase School campus.
• Van Allen Elementary Public elementary school education for district students, located in Chariton, Iowa, recognized as a 2025-2026 Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase School campus.
• Middle School Public middle school education for students in grades 6-8 in the Chariton Community School District.
• High School Public high school education for students in grades 9-12, including academic, athletic, career and technical education, and the Charger Manufacturing welding program.
• Career and Technical Education Programs Career and technical education programs spanning Agriculture Education, Business and Marketing, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Science, Industrial Technology, and Construction Technology for Chariton High School students.
• Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH) SEL Program Social-emotional learning program for all K-12 staff focused on social-emotional wellbeing, relationship-driven school culture, and student connectedness. District won the 2025-2026 Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase Schools District Award.
• Charger Manufacturing Program High school manufacturing and welding program where students produce practical items including signs, planters, and tables for community projects. Received a 2023 STEM Best Award for welding lab improvements.
• ParentSquare Communication Platform District-wide communication platform enabling two-way interaction between parents/guardians and teachers across PK-12, with customizable notification delivery and emergency alerts.
• Virtual Learning Days Program State-approved virtual learning days where 95% of content has already been covered, allowing students to complete recursive learning activities from home during weather-related school cancellations.
• Food Services School food service providing breakfast and lunch meals to enrolled students, free and reduced-price lunch programs based on income eligibility, and summer food pickup programs.
• Transportation Services Student transportation services providing bus transportation to and from school for enrolled students.
• Special Education Services Special education services for students with disabilities provided in compliance with IDEA, Section 504, and ADA requirements.
• Silver Cord Award High school recognition program that awards students for achievement or community service involvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named 2025-2026 Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase Schools District Award winner
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 10 Fold Architecture + EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm hired to develop long-range facilities master plan for the district spanning 10-15 years. Working on multiple projects including window replacement, HVAC improvements, and science classroom renovations.
• Indian Hills Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Chariton Valley Construction Academy providing vocational education opportunities for students in conjunction with the community college.
• Wayne Community SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSharing agreement for girls wrestling program, helping fill open weight classes and making practices more competitive for both schools.
• Joiner ConstructionminorOthersConstruction company awarded bid for Middle School Water Mitigation Project at cost of $599,642 with completion date of May 15, 2024.
• Parent SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationNew communication platform launched to improve parent-school communication PK-12, functioning similarly to social media platforms allowing customizable notifications and two-way interaction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clarke Community School District:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Super_Charger
• Facebookfacebook.com/CharitonCSD

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chariton Community School District