Lakeland School District 272

What Lakeland School District 272 does

North Idaho STEM Charter Academy, operated under Lakeland School District 272, is a public, tuition-free K-12 STEM-focused charter school located at 15633 N Meyer Rd., Rathdrum, Idaho. The school is structured as a non-profit 501(c)(3) and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes Dr. Lorna Finman (Chair), Dan Tesulov, and Patricia Guzman, with co-founders Scott Thomson (Executive Director) and Colleen Thomson (Director of Instruction) leading academic operations. The instructional model is built on project-based learning integrated across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with vertical segmentation into Primary K-3 (featuring WeDo Robotics, Jr. First Lego League, Lego Story Starters, and Invent Idaho), Intermediate 4-8 (FIRST Lego League, Invent Idaho, IXL, Khan Academy, and electives in band/choir/app development/graphic design), and High School 9-12 (dual credit coursework, STEM diploma requirement, and a senior STEM Capstone project).

The school's product portfolio extends across academic programs, a comprehensive music program (Orff-Schulwerk elementary model, junior and symphonic choirs, Carta Crescendos elite high school choir, beginning/middle/high school/jazz bands), and an extensive high school dual credit catalog spanning mathematics, lab sciences, computer science, English, music, and humanities. Integration with PowerSchool supports student information management, while classroom tools include IXL, Khan Academy, Typing.com/Typingclub/Dance Mat Typing, and Google Forms for administrative workflows.

The business model is funded primarily through Idaho per-pupil state allocations and federal grants as a public charter, supplemented by donations (via a Square donation site that qualifies Idaho residents for a 50% state tax credit), the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program, and competitive grants from funders such as the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation (which has awarded over $1.5 million cumulatively). The go-to-market motion is community-led and direct-to-consumer: prospective families apply through an open enrollment process, with awareness generated via the school's website, social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), newsletter subscription, and word-of-mouth across the North Idaho region. Reported outcome metrics include 100% STEM diploma graduation (the only Idaho school with this distinction), 87% of 2023 graduates completing an AA degree before high school graduation, $1.6M in scholarships earned by the 2023 graduating class, and SAT scores described as highest in Idaho and 200 points above the national average.

Name

Lakeland School District 272

Legal name

North Idaho STEM Charter Academy Inc.

Website

https://stemcharter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

North Idaho STEM Charter Academy (Lakeland School District 272) is a tuition-free, non-profit K-12 public charter school in Rathdrum, Idaho that delivers project-based STEM education with integrated dual credit college courses to families across the North Idaho region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJACAG

Charter STEM/STEAM-Focused Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJACAB

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

Keywords

• K-12 STEM education
• Charter school services
• Dual credit programs
• Project-based learning
• College preparatory education

Headquarters

HQ city

Rathdrum

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a public charter school, North Idaho STEM Charter Academy receives per-pupil state funding and federal grants to support operations. The school is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations accepted through the school's secure Square site. Idaho residents can claim a 50% state tax credit for donations. Additional support through Fred Meyer Community Rewards program.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

North Idaho STEM Charter Academy operates a tuition-free public K-12 STEM-focused charter school delivering project-based learning across three programs: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-8), and High School (9-12). The school offers dual-credit college courses through Idaho Digital Learning Academy, North Idaho College, University of Idaho, and Lewis-Clark State College, plus a comprehensive Music Program. Operations are funded by per-pupil state allocations, federal grants, and tax-deductible donations as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Product overview

North Idaho STEM Charter Academy is a K-12 charter school offering a unified STEM-focused educational program. The school is organized into three main programs: Primary K-3rd Grade (featuring project-based learning with WeDo Robotics, Jr. First Lego League, Invent Idaho, and Lego Story Starters), Intermediate 4th-8th Grade (with FIRST Lego League, comprehensive academics, and electives), and High School 9th-12th Grade (offering dual credit opportunities through partnerships with Idaho Digital Learning Academy, North Idaho College, University of Idaho, and Lewis-Clark State College). The school also provides a comprehensive Music Program including Elementary music (Orff-Schulwerk), Choirs (Junior, Symphonic, Carta Crescendos), and Bands (Beginning, Middle School, High School, Jazz). High school students can earn an Associate degree from North Idaho College prior to graduation. The school emphasizes project-based learning, character education, and rigorous STEM curriculum with 100% of students graduating with a STEM Diploma. Additional offerings include Advanced Opportunities/FAST Forward program, STEM Capstone senior project, and Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars program with NASA connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary K-3rd Grade Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students graduate with STEM Diploma - only school in Idaho with this distinction
• +5 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

Integration19 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• North Idaho College (NIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary dual credit partner for Associate degree completion. NIC provides face-to-face college courses at STEM including lab sciences, computer science, math, PE, public speaking, English, and music. 87% of 2023 STEM graduates earned AA degrees through this partnership.
• University of IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit courses taught onsite at STEM Charter for University of Idaho credit, allowing students to earn college credits toward STEM degrees.
• Lewis-Clark State CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit courses offered onsite providing additional college credit pathways for STEM students.
• Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline dual credit course provider for Fast Forward program students in grades 7-12, enabling early college credit opportunities for academically prepared students.
• FIRST Lego LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational robotics program for students in grades 4-6. STEM Charter participates in FIRST Lego League each fall as part of project-based STEM curriculum.
• Invent IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide invention education program engaging students in grades K-8 in project-based learning through invention projects and competitions.
• Fred MeyerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Rewards program allowing shoppers to link their Fred Meyer Rewards Card to STEM Charter, with the school earning donations from Fred Meyer's $2.5 million annual community contributions in Idaho.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEA Public Schools: Large national K-12 public charter network with a STEM/college-prep focus and strong dual enrollment outcomes; comparable to North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in mission, though operating in different states at significantly larger scale.
• National Heritage Academies: Charter management organization operating K-8 (and some K-12) charter schools across multiple states with a college-prep focus; comparable as a multi-site charter operator with a strong K-8 academic culture, though not exclusively STEM.
• KIPP Public Schools: National K-12 public charter network focused on college readiness for underserved students; overlaps with North Idaho STEM Charter Academy on a college-prep, project-based, K-12 charter charter mission at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: National network of STEM- and college-prep-focused charter schools serving K-12, with an emphasis on advanced coursework, high graduation outcomes, and college readiness — the most direct national analog to North Idaho STEM Charter Academy's mission and curriculum model.
• Camelot Education: Operates charter and alternative schools with structured academic and college-prep programs at K-12; comparable as a non-profit charter operator delivering project-based, college-aligned K-12 education, though more focused on at-risk populations.

Regional players

• Idaho Virtual Academy: Idaho-anchored public charter school that serves K-12 students statewide through online instruction, also leveraging the Idaho Digital Learning Academy for dual credit — comparable as an Idaho charter serving K-12 with non-traditional delivery, though virtual rather than in-person.
• Blackfoot Charter School: Idaho public charter school offering K-12 instruction with college-prep and dual credit pathways; comparable as an in-state Idaho charter competitor serving families seeking non-traditional public school options.
• Rolling Hills Public Charter School: Idaho-based public charter school with a project-based, thematic K-8 curriculum; comparable as a regional Idaho charter peer operating project-based learning, though focused on K-8 and without the high-school dual credit pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/stemcharter
• Facebookfacebook.com/106616409387318

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lakeland School District 272