Charter Schools Rock

Proudly supporting the charter school movement since 1993

  • Full-scope financial services from budget development to strategic grant management. Our robust strategic services will help your school achieve it’s dreams!

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  • Let our HR Department support an organized, well-run, compliant, and fantastic working environment. Your employees will thank you!

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  • Our team is ready to shoulder the burden of facilities, risk mitigation, and site compliance so you can focus on helping those kids achieve their dreams!

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  • Academic supports for the modern classroom. From discipline framework development to professional development and procedural support - we love partnering with school leaders to grow their educational programs!

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  • Bidding on a new building? Building a new building? Renovating your building? We have the expertise to maximize your budget and keep your project on schedule.

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Our Services

Expertly crafted services customized to fit the needs of your unique school community.

Tatonka Education Services is creating something special by engaging in an uncommon partnership with individual school communities; emphasizing creative problem solving, setting high expectations, and fulfilling dreams.

Mission Possible

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Happy Partners

  • Partnering with TES has been an absolute pleasure! The finance team did wonders in helping us separate from a problematic vendor, and working with the HR team has greatly helped simplify our operations. I love having a strategic thought partner to talk through issues with. TES is truly a partner to VCS. They are reliable consistent, and provide high-quality solutions and work products. If you are not thrilled with your back-office service providers – I highly recommend using TES to support your charter school!

    - Karen Secor, Director of Operations, Vanguard Classical Schools

  • "A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU for TES, they are knowledgeable about everything and are always looking for solutions. I expected the transition to be difficult and it has been an absolute pleasure."

    -Emily Thomson, Former Business Manager, AXL Academy

  • "Being hired in 2004 by the Mosaica team, I saw the ups and downs of the charter school life, but when Tatonka took over, it was so different. Even though it was the same job, it had a WHOLE new feel. From day one, TES treated us as people and not just workers at your business. You knew our names and always had smiles on your faces. A little means a lot. So from the first gift card, all the way to the beautiful condolence basket you sent to me when my daughter passed, I want to say thank you!"

    - Cheryl Banks, Former Food Service Manager, Riverbend Prep.

  • “Since 2015, First Student has been providing transportation services to STEAM Academy of Akron. Our experience with Carol Hansen, CEO, Tatonka Capital and her team is exceptional. As a business partner one expects each party to uphold their agreed upon obligations. Without exception, Tatonka Capital meets and exceeds every expectation.”

    — Douglas Meek, Area General Manager, First Student, Inc.

  • “TES has helped give our school a new life. They listened to our goals and helped us create a road map to reach them. Over the last 4 years, Tatonka Education has made our school financially stable and increased teacher’s pay by up to 25%. Through our partnership with Sammy Hansen, Operations Manager, we designed and implemented a full school re-brand that has helped rebuild our community and extend our community outreach programs. The TES Team does whatever it takes to get the job done and is always willing to go the extra mile. Our entire community is thankful for their continued support and partnership!”

    — Nova O'Callaghan, Former Principal, Eagle Elementary of Akron

  • I highly recommend TES’s services. I have found Carol to be a person of integrity. If TES does not know the answer they collaborated with FPA, seeking a solution for the situation. I have not found many willing to go the extra mile. Carol and the TES team have been a wonderful welcome, a breath of needed fresh air, as we partnered to bring the best innovative education to children and their families in Chicago. As Chairman and on behalf of our Board of Trustees; we have benefited from TES’s professional and attentive services to our school.

    — Tommy L Duff Sr., Frazier Preparatory Academy - Former Board Chairman

  • “TES was able to help get the school’s cash flow under control and ultimately get vendors paid. Based on our experience, I would recommend TES to any school, but particularly those that are in need of turn‐around services.”

    — Patrick T. Carmody, President, Innovative Modular Solutions, Inc.

  • “As the former Board President of Steam Academy of Akron, it has been my privilege to work with Tatonka Education Services (TES). TES has been phenomenal in the turning around of this charter. Prior to working with TES and before my tenure on the board, SAA was in fiscal danger. TES joined our team and helped turn our school around and now the school has a fighting chance for a bright future. It has been a pleasure to partner with Carol, Joseph, and TES and I would not hesitate to do it again! Thanks for truly demonstrating a heart for the children and their education!”

    — Eric D. Nevins, Jr. March 23, 2018

  • “The support that Tatonka has provided Riverbend Prep Academy has allowed us to meet our financial benchmarks much earlier than anticipated. They have also supported our school through management services while allowing us to be our own entity. They take direction from the board while giving us the freedom to determine the curriculum and instructional pedagogy that we feel would best meet our school mission. It’s refreshing to work with a management company that allows us to operate in a way that is responsive to our own community, rather than conform to their way of doing things.”

    — John Paquin, Former Head of School, Riverbend Prep

  • TES is a group of individuals that are working as a team with confidence, courage, and stability when collaborating with our organization. Good communication and ideas are brought to the table for AXL to be successful.

    -Mehran Ahmed Executive Director AXL Academy Aurora, CO

  • We are happy to work with TES even during trying times, we know we can rely on them.

    -Cindy Orley, Board Member Eagle Elementary of Akron

  • “When TES took over Steam Academy of Akron, payments for food service have significantly improved. We believe that on time payments from our customers are essential to our business, and gives us the ability to serve our school customers.”

    — Brad Wilkinson, President, Arlene's Cuisine

  • “As a charter school operating outside of our local school district, we have to outsource for the business aspects of our school, and TES has been an invaluable resource to help with this. From payroll to human resources to budgeting, we can always count on TES to have on-point feedback and strategies to help streamline our school operations. While business and operations don’t always first come to mind when thinking about elementary education, they directly impact teaching and learning. Though behind the scenes, when the business and operations of our school are solid, it is the students who benefit the most.”

    — Shannon Keigan, Executive Director, T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge

  • The service is very flexible, adaptive and responsive to our needs.

    -Kelly Gomes, Shared Service Partner, Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado

In 2023, Tatonka celebrated 30 years of supporting education in the US. We have helped 100s of schools nationwide make their dreams come true.

Want to see what we can do for you?

Life as part of the “herd”

  • Natalie Gomez, HR Team Lead, Lucas Almeida, HR Generalist, and Maggie Regalia, Director of Finance at the 2023 Colorado League of Charter Schools Leadership Conference.

  • 2021 Leadership Round-up attendees.

  • Lucas Almeida, HR Generalist, at Eagle Elementary of Akron’s annual pre-service.

  • Operations Director Sammy Arndt and Office Manager of EEA TaNeija Howard at the Leadership Round-Up in 2021.

  • Financial Literacy Training, TES Leadership Round-Up 2021.

  • The TES HR Team 2022.

  • Operations Director Sammy Arndt and Cheryl Banks, Food Service Manager at Riverbend Prep.

  • Mayuri Kulkarni, Operations Coordinator, rocked her TES hat while onsite at Riverbend Prep.

  • Members of the TES corporate team at the Colorado League of Charter Schools Annual Conference in 2021.

  • Allie Byrne, Director of Academics, celebrates her certificate as a Wilson Dyslexia Practioner in 2022.

  • Operations Cohort, TES Leadership Round-Up 2021.

  • TES Leadership Round-Up Attendees 2021.

  • Leadership Cohort, TES Leadership Round-Up 2021.

  • Academic Cohort, TES Leadership Round-Up 2021.

  • Allie Byrne, Director of Academics with long time student of Eagle Elementary of Akron.

  • Lucas Almeida, HR Generalist, and Lisa Cook, Principal of Eagle Elementary of Akron, with a student during teacher pre-service 2023.

  • Heidi Luse, TES Corporate Office Manager, getting silly with 1st Grade at Eagle Elementary of Akron.

  • DEI with Dr. Dorothy Shapland during the TES Leadership Round-Up 2021.

  • Annual holiday gift donation drive.

    Annual holiday gift drive 2021.