What Cypress-Fairbanks ISD does

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District is a public school district (government entity) operating 96 campuses across 186 square miles in northwest Harris County, Texas. It is the third-largest school district in Texas and the largest suburban district, serving 114,820 PK-12 students for the 2025-26 school year with a workforce of approximately 19,000 employees, including teachers, administrators, and support staff. The district operates a traditional in-person education model supplemented by Virtual Pathways online learning and delivers academic programs through elementary, middle, high school, and special program facilities including the College Academy (dual-credit associate degree partnership with Lone Star College-CyFair), Career & Technical Education with nearly 70 industry certifications, fine arts, gifted and talented (HORIZONS), dual language, and special education.

The district's technology infrastructure is built around a district-wide 1:1 LTE Chromebook program (take-home device for every student), the Schoology learning management system for course management and communication, the Home Access Center parent/student portal, and SchoolCash Online payments. Student safety is supported by a TPCA-accredited CFISD Police Department with K-9, mental health intervention, and telecommunications divisions, plus the Lightspeed STOPit anonymous tipline. Facilities include the Berry Center event complex, Visual and Performing Arts Center, Science Resource Center, and a 10-bus electric school bus fleet.

Funding flows through a hybrid public-sector revenue model: local property taxes ($1.0669 per $100 valuation with a 20% homestead exemption), per-pupil state funding tied to Average Daily Attendance, federal grants (Title I/II, IDEA, nutrition), and self-sustaining nutrition services ($79.2M budget). The 2026-27 adopted operating budget is $1,246,972,629 (up from $1,226,419,644 in 2025-26), with 65.7% allocated to instruction. Optional fee-based services include tuition Pre-K, Club Rewind before/after-school care, Early Learning Center, summer camps, facility rentals, and paid meals. Enrollment is geographically assigned through attendance zones; the district is governed by a seven-member elected Board of Trustees with Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian (appointed January 1, 2024) leading day-to-day operations.

Name

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

Legal name

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

Website

https://cfisd.net

Company type

Public

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is Texas's third-largest public school district, serving 114,820 PK-12 students across 96 campuses in northwest Harris County. It is funded by local property taxes, state per-pupil allocations, and federal grants, operating with a $1.25 billion budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Local Property Taxes: Primary local funding source. CFISD tax rate is $1.0669 per $100 valuation with a 20% local optional homestead exemption. Funds instruction, facilities, transportation, and district operations.
2. State Funding: Per-pupil state funding based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and weighted funding for special populations including special education, bilingual education, and career/technical education.
3. Federal Grants and Programs: Federal funding including Title I, Title II, IDEA (special education), and school nutrition programs. Subject to federal compliance and reporting requirements.
4. Nutrition Services: Self-sustaining nutrition services program funded by federal reimbursements, paid meals, and a la carte sales. No local tax dollars support nutrition services. Budget: $79,172,451.
5. Tuition-Based Programs: Tuition-based Pre-K programs available at select campuses for families who do not qualify for free pre-kindergarten.
6. Facility Use Fees: Community use of district facilities including athletic fields, meeting rooms, and venues such as Berry Center and VPAC generates rental revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (CFISD) provides comprehensive PK-12 public education to 114,820 students across 96 campuses in northwest Harris County, Texas. Core offerings include standard academic instruction, Career & Technical Education with nearly 70 industry certifications, College Academy dual-credit courses with Lone Star College, gifted and talented (HORIZONS) programs, Two-Way Dual Language immersion, fine arts, athletics, special education, and English learner support. District-wide technology programs include an LTE 1:1 take-home Chromebook initiative, the Schoology LMS, Virtual Pathways online learning, and Home Access Center for grades and attendance.

Product overview

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is a large suburban school district operating as a unified educational platform with multiple interconnected programs and services. The district serves approximately 114,820 students across 96 campuses (elementary, middle, high schools, and special program schools). Core technology products include LTE 1:1 (1:1 Chromebook program providing devices to every student), Virtual Pathways (online learning), and Schoology (LMS). Academic programs include College Academy (dual credit with Lone Star College), Career & Technical Education (CTE with 70+ certifications), Fine Arts, and HORIZONS Gifted & Talented. Parent/student platforms include Home Access Center (grades/attendance) and SchoolCash Online (payments). Community programs include Club Rewind (before/after school care). These products function as an integrated educational ecosystem supporting PK-12 instruction, with technology initiatives (LTE 1:1, Virtual Pathways, Schoology) enabling both in-person and online learning modalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LTE 1:1 Student Chromebook Program A district-wide 1:1 device initiative providing a take-home Chromebook to every CFISD student to support learning in and outside of the classroom.
• Virtual Pathways Online Learning Full-time online education option offering flexibility for students to learn anywhere, anytime while staying connected to CFISD teachers and curriculum.
• College Academy Dual-credit program through partnership with Lone Star College - CyFair allowing high school students to earn an associate degree by the time they graduate.
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Career pathway programs offering nearly 70 industry certifications and 130+ courses across agriculture, architecture, health science, IT, and other fields to prepare students for the workforce.
• HORIZONS Gifted & Talented Program Special program for identified gifted and talented students providing advanced academic opportunities and enrichment activities.
• Two-Way Dual Language Program Language immersion program that enables students to become bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.
• CARE Academy Career academy providing specialized pathways for students to explore career interests through industry partnerships.
• Fine Arts Programs Comprehensive fine arts education program spanning music, dance, theatre arts, and visual arts across all grade levels in the district.
• Club Rewind Before/After-School Care Before- and after-school child care program for elementary school students with enrichment options including soccer, Spanish language, and art activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,468 graduates in Class of 2026 across 12 high schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lone Star College - CyFaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling CFISD high school students to earn an associate degree by the time they graduate through the College Academy program. Students take college courses at Lone Star College - CyFair campus while completing high school requirements.
• Lightspeed STOPitcoreTechnology or IntegrationAnonymous safety tip reporting platform powering the CFISD Tipline. Accessible via web app from school Chromebooks or personal mobile devices. Text 'CFISD' to 738477 to submit anonymous tips.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBackpack Boosters program providing school supplies to students in need through Kroger community partnerships.
• Schoology (PowerSchool)coreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system (LMS) platform used district-wide for course management, grades, assignments, and communication between teachers, students, and parents.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Northside Independent School District: One of the largest districts in Texas serving the San Antonio metropolitan area. Comparable in operational scale, suburban growth profile, and breadth of academic/vocational programming, often cited alongside CFISD among the state's largest suburban districts.
• Houston Independent School District: Largest school district in Texas and operates within the same Houston metropolitan area as CFISD. Comparably large K-12 public district with overlapping feeder patterns and shared regional labor/demographic dynamics, serving as the closest direct peer for scale benchmarking.
• North East Independent School District: Large San Antonio-area K-12 district that, like CFISD, is a suburban powerhouse in a Texas metro. Comparable in scale, suburban demographic mix, and breadth of programs including CTE, fine arts, and dual-credit pathways, making it a strong out-of-region comparable.
• Katy Independent School District: Large Houston-area suburban K-12 district that competes with CFISD for residential growth and student enrollment in northwest Houston. Similar suburban demographic profile, master-planned community growth dynamics, and dual-credit/UIL athletics offerings.
• Dallas Independent School District: Second-largest district in Texas and major urban K-12 district. Comparable in scale (though more urban than CFISD), with overlapping statewide funding, accountability, and TEA oversight frameworks, making it a key benchmark for operations and outcomes.
• Arlington Independent School District: Large Dallas-Fort Worth area K-12 public district of comparable scale, operating within the same Texas Education Agency framework. Serves as a regional benchmark for suburban district operations, UIL athletics, and CTE programming.
• Fort Bend Independent School District: Suburban Houston-area K-12 district of comparable size and demographics, serving fast-growing communities southwest of Houston. Competes with CFISD for family relocation decisions and operates similar comprehensive programming including CTE and dual credit.
• Plano Independent School District: Large Dallas-Fort Worth suburban K-12 district with similar demographic and programmatic profile to CFISD, including strong dual-credit and CTE offerings. Comparable in size range, academic performance metrics, and suburban growth dynamics.

Regional players

• Austin Independent School District: Major Texas urban K-12 district operating under the same statewide accountability framework as CFISD. Comparable in breadth of programs and student-support services, though situated in a different metro with distinct demographic and political dynamics.
• Aldine Independent School District: Houston-area K-12 public district serving a different (more urban/inner-suburban) part of the metro than CFISD. Operates within the same TEA and regional labor pool, providing a regional comparable for funding, teacher pipeline, and operational benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CyFairISD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thecyfairisd
• Facebookfacebook.com/cyfairisd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfisd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Cypress-Fairbanks ISD