Hardin-Jefferson I S D

What Hardin-Jefferson I S D does

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District (HJISD) is a Texas public school district operating four campuses (China Elementary, Sour Lake Elementary, Hardin-Jefferson Junior High, and Hardin-Jefferson High School) that serve approximately 2,750 PreK-12 students across Sour Lake, China, Nome, Bevil Oaks, Cheek, Pine Ridge, Pinewood, and Westbury in Southeast Texas, on the Hardin/Jefferson county line. The district delivers a standard public K-12 instructional program augmented by Career and Technology Education (seven pathways including Welding, Health Science, Culinary, and Engineering), 15+ high school and six junior high athletic programs, and a suite of federally-required special programs (Special Education, Dyslexia, ESL/Emergent Bilingual, Gifted and Talented, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education, Section 504, Response to Intervention, and Title IX compliance).

HJISD does not build proprietary technology; instead it operates a vendor-orchestrated technology stack anchored by Finalsite (website and mass notification), Ascender (integrated Parent/Teacher/Employee/Admin portals under district ID 100905), ParentSquare (district-wide school-to-home communication adopted August 2025), Frontline (substitute/HR management), Applitrack (hiring), SchoolCafe and SchoolPay (cafeteria accounts), Eduphoria, Discovery Education, TEKS Resource System, DMAC, Raptor (visitor management), and identimetrics (enrollment biometrics). Operational departments include Transportation (34+ buses, 20 routes, 1,300+ daily miles, 1,100+ riders, 30 staff), Child Nutrition, Safety and Security, Communications, Finance and Operations, Human Resources, and Technology.

HJISD is funded by local property taxes at a 2025 rate of $0.9669 per $100 of assessed value (split $0.669 Maintenance & Operations and $0.300 Interest & Sinking, unchanged from 2024), Texas Education Agency Foundation School Program allocations, and federal ESSA grants. A separately incorporated 501(c)(3), the Hardin-Jefferson ISD Education Foundation (established 2008), layers in private donations for scholarships and teacher grants. Bond 2020 finances the current capital cycle (Hawk Stadium, fieldhouse, auditorium, junior high, parking) with FEMA coordination for prior Hurricane Harvey recovery. The district holds a District of Innovation designation (initiated August 2016 under Texas HB 1842) granting charter-equivalent local flexibilities. As a governmental entity, HJISD has no equity, shareholders, or funding rounds; its growth is governed by demographic trends, property valuation cycles, and state funding formulas.

Name

Hardin-Jefferson I S D

Legal name

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District

Website

https://hjisd.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District is a Texas public K-12 district serving approximately 2,750 students across four campuses in Sour Lake, China, and surrounding Hardin/Jefferson county communities, funded by local property taxes, state formula aid, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADABAA

Public School Districts (K–12)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

SECONDARYEDADABAJ

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

SECONDARYEDAJACAE

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAKAAAH

Specialized Residential Special Education Programs

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Special Education Schools & Programs

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Student transportation services
• School nutrition programs
• Special education services
• Career technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sour Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 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. Property tax revenue: Primary funding source derived from local property taxes. The 2025 total tax rate remained unchanged from 2024 at $0.9669 per $100 valuation, split between $0.669 for Maintenance & Operations and $0.300 for Interest & Sinking (debt service).
2. State and federal funding (TEA / ESSA grants): State funding via the Texas Education Agency (Foundation School Program) and federal funding via ESSA grants, including an annual intent-to-apply public notice for the 2025-2026 ESSA Federal Grant.
3. Child nutrition program sales: Revenue from paid school meals and a la carte purchases at published prices (Elementary Breakfast $2.00 / Lunch $2.75; Secondary Breakfast $2.00 / Lunch $3.00; Adult Breakfast $3.50 / Lunch $5.00), managed through the SchoolCafe payment platform.
4. Educational Foundation donations and grants: The Hardin-Jefferson ISD Education Foundation (501(c)(3) established 2008) solicits, manages, and distributes funds from individuals, corporations, trusts, memorials, and other foundations to provide student scholarships, teacher grants, and instructional enhancements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hardin-Jefferson ISD is a Texas public school district that delivers tuition-free PreK-12 education to approximately 2,750 students across four campuses in Southeast Texas, combining core academics with Career and Technology Education pathways, special education, athletics, child nutrition, transportation, and district-wide safety and security services. It operates as a governmental entity funded primarily by local property taxes and Texas Education Agency / federal ESSA funding, and channels supplemental private support through its affiliated 501(c)(3) Education Foundation.

Product overview

Hardin-Jefferson ISD is a single public school district that operates a unified portfolio of educational services and operational departments across four campuses (China Elementary, Sour Lake Elementary, Hardin-Jefferson Junior High, Hardin-Jefferson High School) serving approximately 2,750 students. Its "product" is the end-to-end K-12 public education experience, which combines a core instructional program (general academics, Career and Technology Education pathways, athletics) with a set of add-on support programs — Special Education, Dyslexia, ESL/Emergent Bilingual, Gifted and Talented, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education, Section 504, Response to Intervention (RTI), and Title IX compliance — together with operational departments (Child Nutrition, Transportation, Safety and Security, Technology, Finance and Operations, Human Resources, Communications, and the Educational Foundation). The district integrates with a wide vendor ecosystem (Ascender for student/employee portals, ParentSquare for parent communication, SchoolCafe for cafeteria, Frontline for substitutes, Applitrack for hiring, etc.) rather than selling a single commercial product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career and Technology Education (CTE) Career and Technical Education program combining classroom instruction with hands-on learning and industry certifications across Animal Science, Health Science, Audio/Video, Law Enforcement, Welding, Marketing & Sales, Culinary, and Engineering pathways. Targeted at HJISD high school students.
• Special Education Program Special education services for eligible students ages 3-21 across 13 disability categories, delivered via Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committees and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Administered by the Executive Director of Special Programs.
• Dyslexia Program District dyslexia identification and instructional services aligned to the State Dyslexia Handbook and the HJISD Dyslexia Handbook, with parent-facing resources in English and Spanish. Targeted at HJISD students identified with dyslexia.
• Emergent Bilingual / English as a Second Language (ESL) Bilingual/ESL program for limited English proficient students that integrates second-language methods with the TEKS curriculum to develop English comprehension, speaking, reading, and composition. Targeted at HJISD students with home languages other than English.
• Gifted and Talented (GT) Program Gifted services for students in grades K-12 demonstrating above-average general intellectual ability, specific subject-matter aptitude, or creative/productive thinking, with fall and spring referral cycles and parent notification of services.
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Enrollment and support services for students experiencing homelessness or in foster care, providing residency-questionnaire intake, school-of-origin protections, and connection to community and mental health resources. Targeted at displaced students and CPS foster care placements in the HJISD area.
• Section 504 Program Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, including Child Find, evaluation within 45 school days, and a written Section 504 Handbook, administered by the 504 Program Specialist.
• Response to Intervention (RTI) Multi-tiered system of academic and behavioral interventions to support student progress before referral to special education. Targeted at HJISD students needing additional academic or behavioral support.
• Title IX Compliance Program District Title IX coordination for non-discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities, including a designated Title IX Coordinator and FFH (Local/Legal) policy references. Administered by Darrell Westfall, Director of Human Resources and Student Services.
• China Elementary Campus One of four HJISD campuses serving elementary students in China, TX at 605 Henderson Ave, China, TX 77613 (409-981-6450).
• Sour Lake Elementary Campus One of four HJISD campuses serving elementary students in Sour Lake, TX at 1055 Hwy 326 South (409-981-6440). Includes a school kitchen renovation project documented under Bids & RFPs.
• Hardin-Jefferson Junior High School Junior high campus at 3025 Hwy 326 (409-981-6430) serving grades 7-8 with athletics, programs, and after-school activities.
• Hardin-Jefferson High School High school campus at 3155 Hwy 326 (409-981-6420) offering CTE, athletics, fine arts, and graduation pathways for HJISD seniors.
• Child Nutrition Services School meal program offering daily breakfast and lunch across all campuses, with menu publishing, prepayment, and PIN-based POS via SchoolCafe, and operating as a USDA equal-opportunity provider. Targeted at HJISD students, with adult meals available to staff and visitors.
• Transportation Services Free home-to-school transportation for eligible students using a fleet of 23 72-passenger buses, 5 77-passenger buses, 5 47-passenger-or-smaller buses, and 1 van across 20 routes serving 1,100+ students daily and covering 1,300+ miles. Targeted at HJISD students living 2+ miles from campus.
• Safety and Security Program District-wide school safety and security program covering prevention, intervention, emergency response, and building security, with a School Safety Coordinator and campus-level safety leads, and Crime Stoppers tip integration.
• Hardin-Jefferson ISD Educational Foundation 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2008 to award grants and scholarships supporting innovative teaching, student scholarships (including the Rod Hill Memorial Scholarship), teacher enrichment, new teacher grants, and instructional paraprofessional scholarships.
• Athletics Program (High School & Junior High) Comprehensive athletic program led by Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Zachary T. Bass across 15+ high school and 6 junior high sports including Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Track, Swimming, Powerlifting, Tennis, Baseball, Softball, Cross Country, and Sports Medicine.
• ParentSquare Communication Channel Two-way school-to-home communication channel for updates, signable forms, and conference scheduling, accessible via web, computer, and a free mobile app. Targeted at HJISD parents and guardians.
• Health Services / SHAC Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) overseeing the district wellness policy, immunization compliance, bacterial meningitis awareness, and seizure management forms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,100+ students transported daily; 1,300+ miles covered; 20 active bus routes
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ParentSquareflagshipTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the district's primary school-to-home communication platform. Families sign up at parentsquare.com or via the free mobile app to receive updates, sign forms, and schedule conferences. The district announced adoption of ParentSquare in August 2025, replacing or augmenting prior communication systems.
• SchoolCafe (Teqtivity)coreTechnology or IntegrationSchoolCafe is the platform used by Hardin-Jefferson ISD for cafeteria menus, student meal accounts, prepayment, and negative-balance notifications. Parents enroll at schoolcafe.com to monitor transactions and add funds.
• Ascender (Computer Solutions, Inc.)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationAscender provides the district's integrated Parent Portal, Teacher Portal, Employee Portal, and administrative login, supporting gradebook, student records, payroll, and HR workflows for the district (district ID 100905).
• Frontline EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationFrontline is used by HJISD for substitute teacher management and HR workflows, accessible via the Frontline login. Substitute teachers apply and are managed through the Frontline / Applitrack ecosystem.
• ApplitrackcoreTechnology or IntegrationApplitrack hosts the district's online job application portal for professional, paraprofessional, and substitute openings (applitrack.com/hjisd/onlineapp).
• TEKS Resource SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationTEKS Resource System is the curriculum resource platform adopted by HJISD, providing a parent resources page (teksresourcesystem.net/parentresources) and staff login for curriculum alignment.
• Raptor TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationRaptor provides visitor management and school safety software used by HJISD campuses, accessible via raptortech.com.
• TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) Policy OnlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHJISD board policy is maintained through the TASB Policy Online service (pol.tasb.org/home/index/575), governing district policies including FFH (Title IX), FNG (homeless appeals), and CW (facility naming).
• Local media outlets (Beaumont Enterprise, Orange Leader, Port Arthur News, Silsbee Bee)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerApproved print media partners that receive media passes for covering HJISD events; coordinated by the Director of Communications.
• Broadcast affiliates (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerApproved broadcast media outlets eligible to receive HJISD media passes for school event coverage.
• Digital media (Dave Campbell's Texas Football, MaxPreps, Texan Live, VYPE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerApproved digital media partners that cover HJISD athletics and news, granted media passes for event access.
• Hardin-Jefferson ISD Education Foundation (HJEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008 by district patrons to provide grants to educators, student scholarships (Rod Hill Memorial Scholarship), teacher enrichment, new teacher grants, and instructional paraprofessional scholarships. Governed by an independent Board of Directors representing the community.
• Jefferson County (Adjunct Faculty Agreement)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025-2026 Jefferson County Adjunct Faculty Agreement documented in board resolutions, supporting instructional partnerships.
• Jefferson Central Appraisal DistrictcoreOthersJefferson Central Appraisal District partnership documented in board resolutions, supporting property valuation and tax administration for HJISD.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vidor Independent School District: Orange County, TX ISD in the same Southeast Texas region. Directly comparable on size, CTE/athletics emphasis, property-tax funding model, and hurricane-recovery context (also impacted by Harvey).
• Kountze Independent School District: Smaller Hardin County, TX ISD sharing the same county-line geography as HJISD. Directly comparable rural public school district with similar tax base constraints and program portfolio.
• Dayton Independent School District: Liberty County, TX ISD with comparable enrollment range, suburban-rural Southeast Texas footprint, and similar reliance on petrochemical-driven property tax base.
• Silsbee Independent School District: Hardin County, TX peer ISD with similar enrollment scale and rural/Southeast Texas footprint. Comparable on funding mix (property tax + state FSP), athletic programs, and District of Innovation-era operations.
• Lumberton Independent School District: Surrounding Hardin County, TX ISD serving a comparable small-town attendance zone with PreK-12 campuses. Directly comparable in size, tax-funded model, CTE/athletics portfolio, and rural Southeast Texas demographics.
• Beaumont Independent School District: Larger urban ISD located ~18 miles east of HJISD in Jefferson County. Same Texas public-school funding regime, TEA accreditation framework, and competing for some open-enrollment transfers; comparable on operations but with materially larger scale.
• Nederland Independent School District: Jefferson County, TX ISD in the Beaumont metropolitan area. Same Texas Foundation School Program funding, similar CTE and athletics programs, and adjacent to HJISD's feeder geography.
• Port Neches-Groves Independent School District: Jefferson County, TX ISD with comparable mid-size Southeast Texas profile and petrochemical-industry tax base. Overlaps on CTE pathways, UIL athletics, and post-Harvey capital program experience.
• Anahuac Independent School District: Chambers County, TX ISD in the same coastal-Southeast-Texas geography. Comparable small-district scale, property-tax dependence, and 6A/4A/3A-classification athletics program structure.
• Liberty Independent School District: Liberty County, TX ISD in the same East Texas/Trinity Bay region. Comparable rural district of similar enrollment scale, property-tax-funded model, and District of Innovation-era flexibilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hardinjeffersonisd
• Xx.com/HJISD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hardin-jefferson-high-school

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Hardin-Jefferson I S D