YES Prep Public Schools

What YES Prep Public Schools does

YES Prep Public Schools is a nonprofit public charter school system founded in 1998 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The organization operates 26 tuition-free, open-enrollment campuses across the Houston metropolitan area — 15 secondary schools and 11 elementary schools (with a 12th elementary, West Elementary, scheduled to open August 2026) — plus the THRIVE Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. YES Prep serves approximately 20,000 students in grades PK-12 with a demographic profile of 96% African American and Hispanic, 93% economically disadvantaged, and 90% first-generation college students. The organization uses a random computer lottery (administered via SchoolMint Enroll) for admission, with no tuition, exams, or interviews required, and provides transportation for in-zone students living more than 2 miles from campus.

YES Prep's educational model emphasizes small personalized schools, a rigorous college-forward curriculum aligned to TEKS standards, individualized college counseling beginning in Pre-K and continuing through alumni support post-graduation, a 1:1 laptop program at the secondary level, 10 Advanced Placement courses, SAT/ACT preparation, bilingual and special education programming, and a Career & Technical Education (CTE) elective pathway. Operationally, the network uses third-party SaaS platforms: SchoolMint for enrollment lottery, Schoology as the learning management system, ParentSquare for family communications, and Skyward as the student information system. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability disclosed.

YES Prep's business model is that of a Texas nonprofit charter school (for-profit charters are illegal in Texas). Revenue is generated primarily through state per-pupil funding allocations and supplemented by donations and fundraising. The organization reports outcome metrics including a 100% college acceptance rate for graduating seniors, ~71% college persistence or degree completion among alumni, a 4x college graduation rate versus peers of similar economic background, 97% of students attending A or B-rated schools, and ten secondary schools ranked in the top 10% of U.S. high schools by U.S. News & World Report in 2024. In October 2025, YES Prep launched the $80 million "Power of YES" capital campaign targeting facility improvements, new school construction, renovations, and expanded student opportunities.

Name

YES Prep Public Schools

Legal name

YES Prep Public Schools

Website

https://yesprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

YES Prep Public Schools is a nonprofit charter school network operating 26 tuition-free PK-12 campuses in Houston, Texas, serving approximately 20,000 predominantly low-income, first-generation college students with a college-readiness focused model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ), Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE), Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• K-12 education
• College preparatory
• Tuition-free schooling
• Charter school network

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Per-Pupil Allocation): As a public charter school, YES Prep receives per-pupil state funding. Charters receive no local taxpayer dollars and are funded through state funds and community support.
2. Donations and Fundraising: YES Prep runs annual fundraising campaigns including 'The Power of YES' ($80 million campaign launched October 2025), the Leading Houston Forward Luncheon, the Energy Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, and corporate sponsorships for Senior Signing Day. Donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations support facilities, programs, and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

YES Prep Public Schools operates a network of 26 tuition-free, open-enrollment public charter school campuses across Houston, Texas, serving grades PK-12. The organization delivers college-readiness focused education with small class sizes, rigorous TEKS-aligned curriculum, comprehensive student support services, and personalized college counseling from pre-K through post-graduation.

Product overview

YES Prep Public Schools is a single, unified charter school network (not a platform-plus-modules architecture) consisting of 26 tuition-free public charter schools across Houston serving grades PK-12. The core offering is the educational program itself, which includes college-readiness curriculum, small personalized schools, rigorous academics aligned to TEKS standards, and comprehensive student support services. Key program components include: the core PK-12 educational services (delivered across 15 secondary and 11 elementary campuses as of 2025); technology-enabled learning through a 1:1 laptop program; the College Initiatives Program providing personalized college counseling from pre-K through post-graduation; AP and CTE courses; summer enrichment programming; the THRIVE alternative education program; and special populations support. YES Prep also utilizes third-party platforms for operational functions: SchoolMint for enrollment/lottery applications, Schoology for learning management, ParentSquare for family communications, and Skyward for student information management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YES Prep Public Schools (PK-12 Charter Education) Tuition-free, open-enrollment public charter school education serving grades PK-12 across 26 Houston-area campuses, providing college-readiness curriculum with small class sizes, rigorous academics, 10 AP courses, 1:1 laptop program, SAT/ACT prep, and comprehensive college counseling.
• THRIVE Program (Alternative Education) THRIVE is the first Disciplinary Alternative Educational Program (DAEP) operated by a public charter system in Texas, providing alternative education services for students requiring specialized support and disciplinary intervention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71% college enrollment or degree completion rate for YES Prep alumni
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Houston Community (Donors, Families, and Supporters)flagshipOthers · 29 October 2025The 'Power of YES' is an $80 million fundraising campaign launched in October 2025 to support educational facilities, new school construction, campus renovations, and expanded student opportunities. The campaign is supported by the broader Houston community including individual donors, corporate sponsors, families, and community partners.
• Teach For AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYES Prep was founded by Chris Barbic, a Teach For America corps member who taught sixth grade at Rusk Elementary. Many of YES Prep's founding teachers and current leaders, including CEO Mark DiBella, came through Teach For America. The organization has a long-standing relationship with TFA for teacher and leader recruitment.
• University of HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYES Prep hosts its annual Senior Signing Day at the University of Houston's Fertitta Center, and the two organizations maintain an ongoing partnership for this signature event that celebrates graduating seniors.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network operating high-performing college-prep schools in underserved communities, primarily in the Northeast. Comparable to YES Prep on college outcomes for low-income students and multi-site charter operating model.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: National charter management organization with a college-prep mission serving predominantly students of color from low-income backgrounds. Comparable to YES Prep on mission, student demographics, and college persistence outcomes.
• Uplift Education: Dallas-Fort Worth-based public charter network with a college-prep mission serving predominantly low-income students. Comparable to YES Prep on mission and operating model, though operating in a different Texas metro.
• BASIS Charter Schools: National charter network consistently ranked at the top of U.S. News high school lists with a rigorous college-prep curriculum. Comparable to YES Prep on academic outcomes and college-readiness positioning, though more affluent student base.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: High-performing urban charter network with strong standardized test outcomes and a college-prep focus. Comparable to YES Prep on operating a multi-site charter network in an urban market serving underserved communities.
• Harmony Public Schools: Texas-based public charter system emphasizing STEM-focused college preparation across multiple campuses. Competes with YES Prep for the same Texas charter families and funding, with similar PK-12 service model.
• KIPP Texas Public Schools: Largest Texas charter network operating multiple campuses serving underserved communities with a college-prep focus. Directly comparable to YES Prep on mission, model, and Houston geography; multiple YES Prep executives previously held senior roles at KIPP Texas (e.g., Chief External Officer Isy Castillo, Chief of Staff Dana Foughty).
• IDEA Public Schools: Multi-state charter network with a strong Texas presence and college-prep focus. Comparable to YES Prep on scale and college outcomes orientation; YES Prep's Chief Talent Officer Tony Muñoz previously served as Managing Director of Regional Human Assets at IDEA.

Others

• Teach For America: Talent pipeline organization that has supplied YES Prep's founder, CEO, and many current leaders. Strategic, non-competing partner critical to YES Prep's teacher and leader recruitment model rather than a direct operational peer.

Regional players

• Houston Independent School District (HISD): The traditional public school district serving the same Houston geography as YES Prep. Direct competitive overlap for student enrollment; YES Prep explicitly positions against HISD's outcomes, noting HISD is the only public school district in the area with D or F rated schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@YESPrepPublicSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/yesprep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/439941
• Instagraminstagram.com/yespreppublicschools
• Xx.com/YESPrep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 YES Prep Public Schools