Foreword

Bluum has made it to ten years. How did we get here? To help tell that story, we asked veteran journalist Alan Gottlieb to chronicle our journey. He does a remarkable job through interviews with more than 30 individuals across Idaho and the country—people who have worked alongside us and seen our growth firsthand. Alan identifies ten key themes that explain how Bluum not only survived but thrived.


It’s a milestone worth acknowledging. Nationally, 65% of startups fail within their first decade. We’ve not only beat the odds—we’ve built something that lasts.


Still, as Bluum’s CEO, I rarely find myself thinking, “Everything’s going great.” I spend a lot of time focused on what’s working, but even more time worrying about what isn’t. Challenges are constant and ever-evolving:


  • Attracting and retaining top talent—both on the Bluum team and in our partner schools.
  • Maintaining a culture of excellence, collaboration, and adaptability in a shifting education landscape.
  • Navigating rising costs and complex financing for school facilities.
  • Managing external shocks—economic, political, legal,
  • and regulatory.
  • Avoiding complacency. Ensuring we don’t just settle into “good enough.”
  • Knowing what to say no to—and having the discipline to follow through.

Alan doesn’t mention this, but I will: luck—and timing—played a role in our success. But luck alone isn’t enough.


A major reason we’re still here is the extraordinary partnership we’ve had with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation (JKAF). Their support has gone far beyond funding. They’ve been our strategic partners, sounding board, and example—modeling loyalty and clarity of purpose. Bluum could not have achieved what it has without their vision and belief in our mission.

Nationally, 65% of startups fail within their first decade. We’ve not only beat the odds—we’ve built something that lasts.

Idaho has also been fertile ground for our work. Coming from Dayton, Ohio, I’ve seen how much harder it is to open and grow schools in shrinking communities. Idaho’s growth—both population and economic—has opened doors. And this state’s cultural and political embrace of school choice has created an environment where innovation can take root.

 

Support from our state leaders has been consistent and bipartisan. From the governor’s office to our congressional delegation, Idaho’s public charter sector has benefited from political will, philanthropic investment, and national partners. Charter School Growth Fund, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, local funders, developers, and committed community members have all made vital contributions—donating everything from land and steel to time and expertise.

 

We’ve made mistakes. In the beginning, we invested energy into recruiting national charter networks to Idaho. Again and again, they told us that our per-pupil funding and small market size made it unfeasible. So, we pivoted. We grew our own talent, our own networks—and it worked.

 

By necessity, we built something unique. National research has since validated that single-state charter networks often outperform those spread across multiple states. That’s been our experience, too.

Above all, we’ve been fortunate to work with incredible educators across Idaho. Our school partners are the true heroes of this story. They are mission-driven professionals who want to be empowered, respected, and held accountable for results. They know not everyone is built for this work—and that culture, values, and commitment matter.

 

In celebrating ten years, I’m proud of what we’ve done—but even more focused on what lies ahead. We’re still building. Still learning. Still striving to serve Idaho’s students and families in ways that are meaningful, measurable, and enduring.