Iowa School Finance Information Services

What Iowa School Finance Information Services does

Iowa School Finance Information Services (ISFIS, Inc.) is a privately held consulting and software firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that sells subscription-based financial analysis tools, data platforms, and consulting services exclusively to Iowa's K-12 public school districts. The company is built around Iowa-specific regulatory expertise accumulated by its founders through prior roles at the Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau and the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB). ISFIS operates with a small professional team of approximately 8 staff members, structured as a partnership that has undergone multiple generational transitions since 2020.

The core offering is the ISFIS Finance Subscription, an annual subscription granting access to a proprietary School Finance Tool Suite that includes the 5-Year Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM, co-developed with Piper Sandler), the Financial Analysis Comparison Tool (FACT), an Interactive Mapping Tool, Cash Flow Management, Budget Projection calculators, Salary Schedule Costing, Property Tax Calculators, and Enrollment Data. Beyond the core suite, ISFIS bundles partner-delivered services including GASB 75 OPEB actuarial valuations (with VIA Actuarial Solutions), Equipment Maintenance Insurance (with Jester Insurance and SU Insurance Company), the Iowa LGRP Natural Gas budget-stability program (with WoodRiver Energy), Board/Policy online hosting, Grundmeyer Leader Services for administrative searches, and background checks (via 3rd Degree Screening). Web-based delivery, weekly legislative session SitRep webinars, and unlimited phone/email support from named Iowa-policy experts are the principal touch points.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual subscription fees, supplemented by reduced-fee onsite consulting (merger/sharing arrangements, levy elections, strategic planning), partner program commissions and pass-through fees, and add-on module pricing (CFPM Pro, Policy Subscription). Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: direct outreach to superintendents, business managers, and school board members, amplified through distribution partnerships with Rural School Advocates of Iowa (RSAI) and the Urban Education Network of Iowa (UEN), which collectively cover the entire rural/urban Iowa K-12 market. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Iowa School Finance Information Services

Legal name

ISFIS, Inc.

Website

https://iowaschoolfinance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iowa School Finance Information Services (ISFIS) is a Des Moines-based firm providing subscription financial analysis tools, data platforms, and consulting services exclusively to Iowa's K-12 public school districts, with deep expertise in state-specific school funding regulations, GASB compliance, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Finance Subscription: Annual subscription model providing access to school finance tools, FACT tool, CFPM model, webinars, unlimited phone/email support, virtual board presentations, and discounted onsite consulting. Basic subscription is the primary revenue stream.
2. Onsite Consulting Services: Reduced-fee consulting services for district-specific projects including merger/sharing arrangements, levy elections (PPEL, ISL, bond issues), strategic planning, and policy guidance.
3. GASB 75 Compliance Services: OPEB valuation services provided in partnership with VIA Actuarial Solutions. Standard valuations, roll-forward reports, and Alternative Measurement Method (AMM) reports.
4. CFPM Pro Model Upgrade: Advanced version of the Comprehensive Financial Projection Model available for additional fee beyond basic subscription.
5. Policy Subscription/Board Hosting: Online board/policy hosting services with flat annual fee for school district policy management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ISFIS provides a subscription-based suite of proprietary web-based financial analysis tools and consulting services exclusively to Iowa K-12 public school districts. The core Finance Subscription includes the Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM), FACT benchmarking tool, interactive mapping, cash flow and budget projection tools, salary costing, property tax calculators, and enrollment data, supplemented by weekly Situation Report webinars and unlimited expert phone/email support. Additional offerings include GASB 75 OPEB valuation services, Board/Policy online hosting, equipment maintenance insurance, natural gas risk pool programs, and consulting on levy elections and policy.

Product overview

Iowa School Finance Information Services (ISFIS) offers a subscription-based platform providing electronic finance tools and financial consulting services to Iowa public schools. The core ISFIS Finance Subscription includes the Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM), Financial Analysis Comparison Tool (FACT), Interactive Mapping Tool, Cash Flow Management, Budget Projection Tools, Salary Schedule Costing, Property Tax Calculators, and Enrollment Data services. Additional premium offerings include GASB 75 OPEB Valuation Services (partnered with VIA Actuarial Solutions), Equipment Maintenance Insurance (through Jester Insurance/SU Insurance), Iowa LGRP Natural Gas Program (through WoodRiver Energy), Board/Policy Online Hosting, and Grundmeyer Leader Services for administrative recruitment. The platform also provides webinars, training workshops, legislative advocacy, and unlimited phone/email support as part of the subscription model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISFIS Finance Subscription Annual subscription service that gives Iowa K-12 public school districts access to the School Finance Tool Suite (including CFPM, FACT, Mapping Tool, Cash Flow, Budget Projections, Salary Costing, Property Tax Calculators, and Enrollment Data), weekly Situation Report webinars during legislative sessions, unlimited phone/email expert support, virtual board presentations, and reduced-fee onsite consulting. Targeted at district superintendents, business managers, and board members.
• Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM) 5-year financial projection model created in partnership with Piper Sandler for Iowa school districts. Available in a Basic version free with the ISFIS Finance Subscription, and a Pro Model available for an additional fee. Used for multi-year district budget forecasting.
• Financial Analysis Comparison Tool (FACT)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of OPEB Valuations completed through GASB 75 partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• Iowa Local Government Risk Pool (LGRP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201928E entity founded by K-12 Public School Districts to provide natural gas budget stability. ISFIS and WoodRiver Energy service the pool. Districts pay lump sum premium to cover all gas service requirements for the year.
• Rural School Advocates of Iowa (RSAI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009ISFIS partners with RSAI on all legislative session actions impacting schools. Margaret Buckton serves as Professional Advocate for RSAI. RSAI provides advocacy services for rural Iowa school districts with ISFIS providing school finance expertise.
• Urban Education Network of Iowa (UEN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009ISFIS partners with UEN on legislative tracking and policy development. Margaret Buckton serves as Executive Director for UEN. UEN advocates for urban Iowa schools with ISFIS providing financial analysis and expertise.
• WoodRiver EnergycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnergy service partner for Iowa LGRP natural gas program. Manages energy procurement and risk for participating school districts. Contact: (888) 510-9315, Athena Simpson.
• Piper SandlerflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial services firm partnered with ISFIS to create the 5-Year Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM). Provides expertise in financial modeling for school districts.
• Jester Insurance ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInsurance partner offering Equipment Maintenance Insurance Program through SU Insurance Company. Helps schools move equipment repair costs from general fund to management fund. Contacts: Nolan Grimm, Debra Pekarek, Melissa Kauffman.
• SU Insurance CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInsurance carrier for Equipment Maintenance Insurance Program offered through Jester Insurance. Covers over 75 categories and 500 types of electronic equipment for school districts.
• VIA Actuarial Solutions (formerly Van Iwaarden Associates)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerActuarial firm partnered with ISFIS to offer GASB 75 OPEB Compliance Service. Founded in 1991, serves over 500 public sector entities. Provides actuarial valuations for retiree medical, drug, dental, vision, life, long-term disability, and long-term care benefits.
• Grundmeyer Leader Services (GLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeader search services partnership to help Iowa school districts recruit, interview, and hire administrators. Newly hired administrators receive financial review with ISFIS. Founded 2013 by Trent Grundmeyer, specializes in hiring superintendents, principals, athletic directors, and school business officials.
• 3rd Degree ScreeningminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBackground check services partner for school districts through ISFIS School Solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isfisinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/isfisinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-school-finance-information-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Iowa School Finance Information Services