Sacred Heart Cathedral School

What Sacred Heart Cathedral School does

Sacred Heart Cathedral School (SHCS) is a private Catholic primary school located in Knoxville, Tennessee, founded approximately in 1956 and operating under the supervision and accreditation of the Diocese of Knoxville's Catholic Schools Office. The school serves students from preschool through 8th grade across two Knoxville campuses: the main campus at 711 S. Northshore Drive (grades K-8) and a separate preschool location at 417 Erin Drive. It reports 101-250 employees and advertises differentiated teacher-student ratios of 1:9 in lower elementary and kindergarten, 1:18.5 in grades 1-5, and 1:21 in middle school, alongside the distinction of being the only Knoxville Catholic foundation school with a full-time school counselor.

The product portfolio comprises the Sacred Heart Cathedral Preschool (infant through Pre-K, Tennessee State Department of Education accredited), the Lower School (Junior Kindergarten through 5th grade), the Middle School (6th-8th grade), and supplementary modules including the Club Eagle before-and-after care and summer camp, an arts program (music, visual arts, drama), athletics, and student support services (speech therapy via Little Sprout Speech Therapy, academic support, and counseling). Core technology is limited to standards-based curriculum delivery with 1:1 Chromebooks in elementary grades and a Google Chromebook program in middle school, plus Spanish language instruction; there is no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability indicated. The school's academic outcomes — students in grades 3-8 scoring 2+ years above grade level on Iowa standardized tests, with 100% of graduates reported as prepared for high school — are cited as the primary quantifiable value proposition.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition, with Catholic families receiving a discounted rate of $10,650 per K-8 child annually (scaling to $42,600 for four or more children) versus $14,000 for non-Catholic families, and $9,823 for Little Eagles Catholic families; payment plans are administered through the FACTS Tuition Management System with monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, 10-month, 12-month, and single-payment cadences. Secondary revenue streams include the Annual Fund, the recurring Auction & Gala event, student fees ranging from $652 to $1,087 by grade, a $200 per-student security fee, $45 Parent Teacher Ministry dues, and Club Eagle aftercare fees. The go-to-market motion is sales-led admissions: prospective families move through an online RenWeb inquiry, individual campus tours, and the Eagle for a Day shadowing program, with the Director of Admissions managing the pipeline and the Business Manager handling tuition assistance via the Knoxville Regional Catholic Schools Operating Fund (KRCSOF). Marketing channels combine the school's website, Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and YouTube presence with parent referrals and parish-driven word-of-mouth.

Name

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Legal name

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Website

https://shcschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sacred Heart Cathedral School is a private Catholic school in Knoxville, Tennessee, serving preschool through 8th grade under the Diocese of Knoxville. It delivers faith-based academics, arts, athletics, and aftercare, with annual tuition ranging from $9,823 to $14,000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAH), Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Catholic K-8 education
• Faith-based schooling
• Preschool through 8th grade
• Private primary education
• Catholic school tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition payments from families. Catholic families receive discounted rates while non-Catholic families pay a higher rate. Payment plans available through FACTS Tuition Management System including monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, 10-month, 12-month, and single payment options.
2. Annual Fund: Annual fundraising campaign that enriches programs and projects beyond tuition. Supports professional development, staff bonuses, curriculum enhancements, and facility improvements.
3. Auction & Gala: Annual 2026 SHCS Auction & Gala fundraising event.
4. Student Fees: Fees including student fees (Little Eagles through 8th grade range from $652 to $1,087), security fee ($200 per student), and Parent Teacher Ministry dues ($45 per family).
5. Before and After School Care: Club Eagle aftercare program with enrollment plans ranging from drop-in to full-week care, with varying fees based on selected plan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sacred Heart Cathedral School delivers Catholic, Christ-centered preschool through 8th grade education across two Knoxville, Tennessee campuses (main K-8 campus at 711 S. Northshore Drive and preschool at 417 Erin Drive). Core academic offerings span Preschool (Infant through Pre-K), Lower School (JK-5th grade), and Middle School (6th-8th grade), supplemented by Club Eagle before/after-school care, an arts program, athletics, and student support services.

Product overview

Sacred Heart Cathedral School is a Catholic educational institution offering a unified preschool through 8th grade program. The school provides a comprehensive academic program (Lower School JK-5th and Middle School 6th-8th) with core educational services including faith formation, technology integration (1:1 Chromebooks), Spanish language instruction, and standards-based curriculum. The school operates the Cathedral Preschool (infant through Pre-K) as a separate program, and supplements core academics with enrichment modules including Club Eagle aftercare/summer camp, an arts program (music, visual arts, drama), athletics, and student support services (speech therapy, academic support, counseling).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sacred Heart Cathedral Preschool: Preschool program offering infant, toddler, Three-Year-Old, and Pre-Kindergarten programs.
• Club Eagle Aftercare Program

Products and services

• Sacred Heart Cathedral Preschool
• Lower School (JK-5th Grade)
• Middle School (6th-8th Grade)
• Club Eagle Aftercare Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students in grades 3-8 consistently score 2+ years above grade level on Iowa standardized tests
• +1 more outcomes

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered support, core and historical.

• Little Sprout Speech TherapysupportImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party speech therapy provider that offers services on campus. Their Speech-Language Pathologists work with students to address speech hindrances that could affect learning abilities.
• Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school operates under the supervision of the Diocese of Knoxville's Catholic Schools Office. The Diocese provides accreditation, oversight, and operates the Knoxville Regional Catholic Schools Operating Fund (KRCSOF) for tuition assistance.
• Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of JesuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school is a primary ministry of the Cathedral parish and an outgrowth of Sunday worship. Students attend weekly Mass at the Cathedral, and the school is integrated with parish youth ministry programs including Summit Middle School Youth Ministry and Cathedral Kids.
• Sisters of MercyhistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe founding religious order that influenced the school's charism, particularly emphasizing healthy relationships and shining a light in the darkness.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA): The national umbrella body for Catholic schools. Not a peer in the commercial sense, but the primary standards-setting, advocacy, and benchmarking organization whose membership and data define SHCS's direct peer universe of U.S. Catholic K-8 schools.
• FACTS Tuition Management (Nelnet): An adjacent technology and service provider used by SHCS for tuition billing, payment plans, and financial aid assessment. Functions as an ecosystem/operating-partner peer rather than a competitor, but is materially relevant to understanding SHCS's revenue model and administrative backbone.
• Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS) member schools: An industry association rather than a peer operator, but highly relevant: TAIS accreditation is the standard independent-school credential in Tennessee and represents the broader peer set of accredited private schools with which SHCS competes for faculty, students, and reputation.

Direct peers

• St. Joseph School: A diocesan Catholic K-8 school in Knoxville under the Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools Office. Operates with the same faith-based mission, diocesan oversight, and tuition-assistance framework, and competes for the same Catholic and non-Catholic family pool in the Knoxville metro.
• Knoxville Catholic High School: The diocesan Catholic secondary school that SHCS's 8th-grade graduates feed into. Operated under the same Diocese of Knoxville, it shares the Catholic mission, governance structure, and feeder pipeline, making it the most direct institutional comparable even at a different grade level.
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School: Another Catholic K-8 school in the Knoxville Diocese with overlapping grade bands (preschool through 8th), faith-based mission, and tuition structure. Directly competes for Catholic families in the East Tennessee market.

Regional players

• Maryville Christian School: An independent Christian K-12 school serving the broader Knoxville-area (Blount County) market. Competes on faith-based education and small class sizes, but located in a different submarket and with an evangelical rather than Catholic identity.
• Christian Academy of Knoxville: A large, well-established private Christian school serving preschool through 12th grade in the Knoxville area. Competes for the same faith-affiliated family segment seeking private education, but with a broader evangelical Christian orientation rather than Catholic identity.
• The Episcopal School of Knoxville: An independent faith-based K-8 school in Knoxville offering a parish-style and academic program comparable to SHCS. Competes for families seeking private, values-driven education outside the public system, with similar tuition band and grade structure.

Broad incumbents

• Webb School of Knoxville: A prestigious independent K-12 private school in Knoxville. Competes for higher-income families seeking premium private education in the Knoxville market, but at a substantially higher price point and with a non-religious, college-preparatory orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shcseagles
• YouTubeyoutube.com/shcseagles
• Facebookfacebook.com/SHCSKnox
• Instagraminstagram.com/shcseagles

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Sacred Heart Cathedral School