Catalina Foothills School District

What Catalina Foothills School District does

Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD, legal name Catalina Foothills Unified School District #16) is a public K-12 school district headquartered at the Murphey Administration Center, 2101 E. River Road, Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1931 with nine students in a garage, the district has grown into Arizona's only PreK-12 district where every school holds an 'A' rating from the Arizona Department of Education, serving more than 5,000 students across eight schools (five elementary, two middle, one high school) plus the Valley View Early Learning Center. Students come from 36 different zip codes, and the district maintains a 95.9% graduation rate with 90% of graduates pursuing post-secondary education.

CFSD delivers a comprehensive educational product spanning core academics, 24 Advanced Placement courses, 10 Career & Technical Education pathways, partial immersion programs in Spanish and Chinese, robotics, performing and visual arts, gifted programming (CogAT identification at the 97th percentile), full IDEA-compliant special education services, English Language Development under Structured English Immersion, Title I Read Strong reading intervention, and 20+ interscholastic athletic programs. The underlying technology stack is standard K-12 ed-tech: Google Workspace for Education (student Gmail, Docs), Synergy/ParentVUE for student information, PowerSchool, ParentSquare as the unified communication platform (integrated with the SIS), InTouch for payment processing, WuFoo/ARUX for enrollment forms, RegisterMyAthlete/Aktivate for athletics, and Destiny Discover for library resources. No proprietary platforms or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid of public funding and fee-based ancillary services. Primary revenue is Arizona state per-student funding tied to enrollment (covering half-day kindergarten and K-12 instruction). The Community Schools subsidiary operates self-supporting fee-based programs: Kinder Plus full-day kindergarten at $3,150/year, C.A.R.E. afterschool childcare at $6.50/hour, enrichment classes, summer programs, and Outdoor Adventures. Arizona Public School Tax Credit donations provide additional dollar-for-dollar-offset extracurricular funding (up to $400 joint / $200 single, partially applicable to Kinder Plus tuition). Open enrollment allows out-of-district families to apply with a reported 96% acceptance rate. Customer segments include K-12 students and families (primary), students with specialized needs (gifted, special education, ELL, McKinney-Vento), language immersion families, and working families needing extended-day care.

Name

Catalina Foothills School District

Legal name

Catalina Foothills Unified School District #16

Website

https://cfsd16.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Catalina Foothills School District is a public K-12 governmental entity in Tucson, Arizona, serving 5,000+ students across 8 schools (PreK-12) and operating as Arizona's only all-A rated district, with fee-based Community Schools programs (childcare, enrichment, preschool) as its ancillary revenue lever.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB), College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN)

Keywords

• Public k-12 education
• Extended day programs
• Language immersion programs
• Community education services
• School enrichment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

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. State Per-Student Funding: Primary funding from Arizona state per-student allocation for half-day kindergarten and K-12 education. State provides base funding per enrolled student.
2. Fee-Based Extended Day Programs: Community Schools operates fee-based programs including Kinder Plus ($3,150/year), C.A.R.E. afterschool childcare ($6.50/hour), enrichment classes, and summer programs. These are self-supporting programs.
3. Arizona State Tax Credit Donations: Arizona Public School Tax Credit program allows taxpayers to make donations designated for extracurricular activities, qualifying for dollar-for-dollar state tax credit up to $400 (joint) or $200 (single). Can apply to Kinder Plus tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Catalina Foothills School District is a public K-12 school district that delivers PreK-12 academic instruction across 8 schools in Tucson, Arizona. The district also operates a Community Schools subsidiary offering fee-based preschool, full-day kindergarten, after-school childcare, enrichment classes, outdoor adventure programming, and summer camps. Core curriculum is enhanced by Spanish and Chinese language immersion, 24 AP classes, 10 CTE pathways, and 100+ extracurricular activities.

Product overview

Catalina Foothills School District is a top-rated PreK-12 public school district serving over 5,000 students across 8 schools in Tucson, Arizona, operating as the only district in Arizona where every school has earned an 'A' rating. The district offers a comprehensive educational portfolio combining core academic instruction with enrichment programs including Spanish and Chinese Language Immersion, Robotics, Performing Arts (Band, Choir, Orchestra), Visual Arts, and Career & Technical Education (10 pathways). Extended learning opportunities are provided through Community Schools subsidiary including Valley View Early Learning Center (nationally accredited preschool), Kindergarten Plus (fee-based full-day kindergarten), C.A.R.E. after-school childcare, Enrichment programs (chess, robotics, martial arts, dance), Outdoor Adventures, and Summer Programs. The district utilizes ParentSquare as its unified communication platform integrated with Synergy and PowerSchool student information systems, InTouch payment processing, and RegisterMyAthlete athletic registration. Special programs include Gifted Programming, Special Education (IDEA), English Language Development (SEI), and Title I Read Strong intervention. Students can earn Arizona State Seals for Arts Proficiency and Biliteracy. The district maintains a 95.9% graduation rate with 90% of graduates pursuing post-secondary education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PreK-12 Public Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 95.9% graduation rate (Class of 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Great Hearts Academies: Arizona-based charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools with a classical, college-prep focus. Competes with CFSD for college-oriented families in Tucson, particularly through its flagship VeritasPrep and homeschool hybrid models.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Arizona-headquartered charter network consistently ranked among the top public schools nationally. Operates BASIS Tucson and other Tucson-area campuses, competing directly with CFSD for high-achieving, college-prep families in the same geographic market.

Direct peers

• Tucson Unified School District: The largest public K-12 district in Tucson and a direct geographic peer to CFSD. Although much larger and more demographically diverse, it shares the same state funding framework, regulatory environment, and student market as Catalina Foothills.
• Vail Unified School District: High-performing Arizona public K-12 district in the Tucson metropolitan area with strong AP/CTE offerings and state-recognized performance. Comparable in operating model and pursuit of 'A' ratings across its schools.
• Scottsdale Unified School District: Arizona public K-12 district similar in size and high-performing profile to CFSD, serving the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area. Comparable in offering AP courses, athletics, language immersion, and community education programs, with overlapping suburban upper-tier demographics.
• Cave Creek Unified School District: Arizona public K-12 district serving a suburban North Phoenix-area community with similar demographic and governance characteristics. Offers comparable AP, extracurricular, and athletics programs, making it a close operational peer.
• Chandler Unified School District: Large Arizona public K-12 district with a strong academic reputation, extensive CTE and AP offerings, and a comparable fee-based community education extension model. Directly comparable in scale, governance structure, and 'A'-rated school performance.
• Paradise Valley Unified School District: Arizona public K-12 district serving comparable suburban Phoenix-area demographics. Operates schools with high academic performance, magnet programs, and community schools-style enrichment, making it a direct governance and operating peer.

Broad incumbents

• Mesa Unified School District: One of the largest public K-12 districts in Arizona. Significant overlap in programming and governance, but operates at a much larger scale and serves a more diverse demographic base, making it a broader incumbent rather than a head-to-head competitor.

Regional players

• Tempe Union High School District: Arizona public high school district serving East Valley/Tempe suburbs. Comparable in college-prep focus, athletics, and AP offerings, but limited to grades 9-12 rather than full PreK-12, making it a partial peer rather than a full landscape competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CFSD16
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Catalina_Foothills_School_Dist
• Facebookfacebook.com/cfsd16
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfsd16

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Catalina Foothills School District