Waco Independent School District

What Waco Independent School District does

Waco Independent School District is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 501 Franklin Avenue, Waco, Texas, operating under the authority of the State of Texas and governed by an elected Board of Trustees (currently chaired by President At-Large Angelo Ochoa, term to May 2029). The district serves students residing within its attendance zone, delivering free public education across 20+ campuses that span elementary (e.g., Bell's Hill, J.H. Hines, Kendrick, South Waco), middle (Cesar Chavez, G.W. Carver, Tennyson), and high school levels (Waco High School, University High School), plus magnet programs (Hillcrest PDS, Lake Air Montessori), two career-and-technical education academies (Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy and Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy), an alternative education campus (Wiley Opportunity Center), a juvenile justice partnership (McLennan County Challenge Academy), and the Future Educators Academy in collaboration with McLennan Community College. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, operational control of Dean Highland Elementary and South Waco Elementary will transition to Third Future Schools under an SB 1882 in-district charter partnership, with a new district-operated virtual school option launching for grades 3-5.

The district's product surface is instructional delivery, not a software platform; supporting technology is a standard K-12 edtech stack including Finalsite (website/hosting), ParentSquare (parent communication), Clever (student SSO), Frontline/TEAMS (HR/payroll/substitute management), Eduphoria (instructional and professional development), NutriSlice (cafeteria menus), RevTrak (payments), Parchment (transcripts), STOPit (bullying reporting), IonWave (procurement), and Google Workspace. WISD-TV operates a district broadcast channel with YouTube distribution. Cybersecurity and digital learning infrastructure are managed by an in-house Technology Services Department (ts.wacoisd.org). Technology is governed under a 2025 Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees in June 2025.

Waco ISD is a government entity whose revenue model is public education funding rather than commercial sales. Funding flows from local property taxes (published tax rate), state foundation school program aid via the Texas Education Agency, federal program funds (e.g., Title I), bond issuances (2021 Bond Projects), federal Child and Adult Care Food Program reimbursements for nutrition services, facility rental fees, and philanthropic contributions channeled through the Waco ISD Education Foundation (501c3) and Adopt-A-School partnerships. No tuition is charged to in-zone students. Distribution to families is direct-to-consumer via neighborhood attendance zones, a centralized parent/student portal, and the district website (wacoisd.org).

Name

Waco Independent School District

Legal name

Waco Independent School District

Website

https://wacoisd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Waco Independent School District is a Texas public K-12 school district operating 20+ elementary, middle, high school, magnet, and CTE campuses in Waco, Texas. It delivers free public education to in-zone residents, funded by property taxes, state aid, and federal programs, and is launching an SB 1882 charter partnership with Third Future Schools for 2026-2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Career technical education
• Magnet school programs
• Alternative education services
• Child nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding (Tax Revenue): Waco ISD is a public school district primarily funded through local property taxes (Tax Rate published online), state foundation school program funding via the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and federal program funds (e.g., Title I). Includes revenue from bond issuances (e.g., 2021 Bond Projects) for capital improvements.
2. Child Nutrition Services Revenue: Revenue from cafeteria meal services (meal pricing, serving times) supported through federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursements and USDA commodity programs, plus summer meals.
3. Facility Rental and Reservations: Facility rental and online reservations system provides revenue from external use of district facilities.
4. Community Contributions and Donations: Waco ISD Education Foundation (501c3) and Adopt-A-School partnerships generate philanthropic contributions, with community contribution form available online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Waco Independent School District is a public K-12 school district that delivers tuition-free instructional programs to students residing within its Waco, Texas attendance zone. Its core offering is the classroom-based educational program provided across elementary, middle, and high school campuses, supplemented by magnet programs, career and technical education academies, alternative education, athletics, child nutrition, and a third-party virtual school option. The district operates as a state-government entity funded primarily by local property taxes, state foundation school program support, and federal program funds.

Product overview

Waco Independent School District is a single unified K-12 public school district offering a portfolio of schools, programs, and supporting services rather than a modular software platform. Its core product is the instructional program delivered across 20+ campuses (e.g., Bell's Hill Elementary, J.H. Hines Elementary, Waco High School, University High School), supplemented by specialized offerings such as the Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs including the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy (GWAMA) and Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy (GWAHCA), the Future Educators Academy, the magnet programs at Hillcrest PDS and Lake Air Montessori, the McLennan County Challenge Academy (MCCA), G.L. Wiley Opportunity Center, the WISD-TV broadcast program, Child Nutrition Services (menus via NutriSlice), Police Department, Athletics Department, and a third-party virtual school option through Connections Academy. New SB 1882 charter partnership products (Third Future Schools at Dean Highland and South Waco) are planned for the 2026-2027 school year alongside a new Waco ISD virtual school option for grades 3-5. Support services (Bullying reporting via STOPit, parent communication via ParentSquare, single-sign-on via Clever, employee services via Frontline TEAMS, professional development via Eduphoria, payments via RevTrak, and transcripts via Parchment) wrap around the core instructional product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WISD-TV: District's television broadcasting channel producing live broadcasts and video content for the Waco ISD community.
• Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy (GWAHCA)
• Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy (GWAMA)
• Future Educators Academy

Products and services

• Waco ISD K-12 Public Education Program Tuition-free public K-12 instructional program delivered across Waco ISD's elementary, middle, and high school campuses for students residing in the district's attendance zone.
• Lake Air Montessori Magnet School Montessori magnet school listed under the Waco ISD Magnet School Enrollment and Schools navigation.
• Hillcrest PDS Magnet Professional Development School magnet operated in partnership with Baylor University, listed under Magnet School Enrollment and Schools navigation.
• Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy (GWAMA) Career and technical education academy focused on manufacturing pathways, listed under Career & Technical Education and Schools navigation.
• Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy (GWAHCA) Career and technical education academy focused on health care pathways, listed under Career & Technical Education and Schools navigation.
• Future Educators Academy CTE program preparing students for careers in education, in partnership with McLennan Community College, listed under Community Helpful Information.
• G.L. Wiley Opportunity Center Waco ISD opportunity and credit-recovery campus listed under Schools.
• McLennan County Challenge Academy (MCCA) Alternative education campus operated by Waco ISD in partnership with McLennan County, listed under Schools and Community Helpful Information.
• Texas Online Public School (Connections Academy partnership) Online public school option for grades 3-12 promoted on the Waco ISD homepage in partnership with Connections Academy of Texas.
• Waco ISD Virtual School Option (Grades 3-5) District-operated virtual school option for grades 3-5 announced as an alternative for families that opt out of the Third Future Schools SB 1882 partnership, launching for the 2026-2027 school year.
• WISD-TV Broadcast Program District-operated television and livestreaming broadcast program with a YouTube channel, listed under Community and Communications.
• Athletics Department Waco ISD interscholastic athletics program with its own athletics website at ath.wacoisd.org.
• Child Nutrition Services (CNS) District department managing school meals including menus published via NutriSlice, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and summer meals.
• Waco ISD Police Department District-operated police department providing campus safety, crossing guard program, and related services.
• Technology Services Department District department that operates the Technology Services site (ts.wacoisd.org), Acceptable Use policies, and the Technology Help Desk.
• Parent & Student Portals Hub for families and students to access district portals, registration, and accounts.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Houston Independent School District: Texas public K-12 school district operating a comparable multi-campus network with magnet programs, CTE pathways, and turnaround initiatives; directly comparable as a Texas public school district of similar governance and funding model.
• Dallas Independent School District: Large Texas public K-12 district with a similar structure of elementary, middle, and high schools plus magnet and CTE programs; comparable governance, funding, and accountability framework under TEA.
• Fort Worth Independent School District: Texas public K-12 district with comparable magnet, CTE, and alternative education offerings; comparable in scale, governance model, and reliance on state foundation funding.
• Austin Independent School District: Texas public K-12 district operating a similar multi-campus structure with magnet programs and CTE academies; directly comparable in regulatory environment and Texas school finance dynamics.
• San Antonio Independent School District: Texas public K-12 district operating under the same TEA accountability framework; comparable in scale, urban footprint, and reliance on Chapter 41 recapture dynamics.
• Bryan Independent School District: Mid-sized Texas public K-12 district also serving a Brazos-region community; comparable in operational scale, CTE offerings, and proximity to Waco ISD's geographic and demographic profile.
• Arlington Independent School District: Mid-to-large Texas public K-12 district with comparable magnet and CTE programming; comparable governance model and exposure to Texas public school finance volatility.
• Katy Independent School District: Texas public K-12 district with a similar campus network and technology-forward operations under the same TEA framework; comparable in offering breadth and parent-engagement tooling.
• Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District: Large Texas public K-12 district with comprehensive CTE, magnet, and online learning programs; comparable as a multi-campus Texas district navigating similar growth and accountability dynamics.

Regional players

• Temple Independent School District: Mid-sized Texas public K-12 district in Central Texas, near Waco; comparable in scale and regional labor market dynamics, making it a relevant peer for benchmarking district-level outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wacoisd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WacoISD-online
• Facebookfacebook.com/wacoisd
• Instagraminstagram.com/wacoisd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries23 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 Waco Independent School District