Calgary Christian School

What Calgary Christian School does

Calgary Christian School (CCS) is a faith-based K-12 educational institution operating as an Alternative Program within the public Palliser School Division in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in 1963 by the Calgary Society for Christian Education (CSCE) and originally a private school, CCS transitioned to its current hybrid public-private governance structure in the 1980s-1990s while retaining its Christian identity through CSCE ownership and the Teaching for Transformation (TFT) curriculum framework. The school serves preschool through Grade 12 students across two physical campuses in Calgarys west end — an Elementary Campus (K-6) at 2839 49 St SW and a Secondary Campus (7-12) at 5029 26 Ave SW — with class sizes ranging from 14 to 30 students depending on grade level. Its student body represents dozens of nationalities and churches, and CCS consistently ranks in the top 10% of Alberta schools, with 80% of graduates proceeding to post-secondary education versus a 59% provincial average.

CCS derives revenue from multiple streams: recurring program fees paid by families (set annually and published in a Christian Education Fee Schedule), optional user-funded bus transportation serving select Calgary quadrants ($3,270-$6,810 per year per family), donations and fundraising (notably an annual golf tournament), and ancillary services including the Cougar Bites Lunch Program and CCU student banking. A $250 family application fee and a 10% non-refundable commitment deposit per student accompany enrollment. The school also operates Learning Adventures Preschool and Early Learning Centre as an early-childhood feeder, and participates in Palliser Beyond Borders to host international students placed through global recruitment channels.

CCS operates on a third-party technology stack rather than proprietary infrastructure: Edsby for parent/student information, SchoolCashOnline for fee processing, aHotLunch for lunch ordering, CognitoForms for admissions, FAST for financial-aid processing, and Google Workspace for internal documentation. The core differentiator is the TFT curriculum framework — licensed from the Prairie Centre for Christian Education — which integrates a Christian worldview across all subjects via 10 defined throughlines (God-worshippers, Earth-keepers, Beauty-creators, Justice-seekers, etc.). Teachers must hold Alberta government certification and sign a covenant affirming the schools Basis and Educational Creed. The school is governed by an annually elected CSCE Board of Directors under Executive Director Denise Steinke, with Palliser providing operational infrastructure including teacher employment, special education support, and curriculum oversight.

Name

Calgary Christian School

Legal name

Calgary Society for Christian Education

Website

https://calgarychristianschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Calgary Christian School is a faith-based K-12 Alternative Program within the Palliser School Division, serving Preschool through Grade 12 at two Calgary campuses. Operated by the Calgary Society for Christian Education, it integrates Christian worldview across the Alberta curriculum through the Teaching for Transformation framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Christian Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF)

Keywords

• K-12 Christian education
• Faith-based schooling
• Alternative education programs
• Preschool early learning
• Student transportation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Christian Education Program Fees: Families pay program fees for their children to attend CCS. Fees are set annually and published in the Christian Education Fee Schedule. The program is priced for affordability with financial assistance available through FAST for current families experiencing hardship. A 10% non-refundable commitment deposit per student is required upon acceptance.
2. Transportation Services: Optional user-funded bus transportation is provided to select areas of Calgary (NW west of Crowchild Trail/North of Stoney Trail; SW west of Sarcee Trail/MacLeod Trail). Bus fees are charged per student with family discounts for multiple riders, and routes are designed based on family-provided criteria.
3. Donations and Fundraising: CCS accepts donations to support their mission and operates fundraising events including an annual golf tournament. Proceeds support programs including FAST financial assistance, athletics, arts, faith formation, and technology improvements. Hole sponsorships and tournament registrations generate revenue.
4. Cougar Bites Lunch Program: Chef Chris prepares and sells meals to students at both campuses through an online ordering system (aHotLunch). Orders must be placed 7 days in advance. This optional meal service generates revenue while supporting student nutrition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Calgary Christian School delivers faith-based K-12 education (Preschool through Grade 12) at two campuses in Calgary's west end as an Alternative Program within the Palliser School Division. The school integrates Christian worldview across the Alberta curriculum through the Teaching for Transformation framework and offers supplementary services including preschool, athletics, fine arts, mental health support, hot lunch, student banking, and bus transportation.

Product overview

Calgary Christian School is an Alternative Program within the Palliser School Division offering a comprehensive faith-based K-12 education across two campuses in Calgary's west end. The school provides a unified educational experience combining core academic programs (Preschool through Grade 12) with supplementary services including athletics, fine arts, mental health support, hot lunch programs, and student banking. The Elementary Campus (K-6) and Secondary Campus (7-12) operate as a single integrated program united by the Christian worldview integration framework called 'Teaching for Transformation.' Key ancillary services include Learning Adventures Preschool, Cougar Bites Lunch Program, Athletics, Fine Arts, various extracurricular clubs, and family support services including financial assistance and mental health counselling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Calgary Christian School K-12 Program
• Learning Adventures Preschool and Early Learning Centre

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of CCS graduates go on to post-secondary studies (vs 59% provincial average)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Palliser Regional Schools (Palliser School Division)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCS operates as an Alternative Program within the public Palliser School Division. Palliser provides operational infrastructure including teacher certification, curriculum oversight, special education support, and administrative services. CCS remains operated by the Calgary Society for Christian Education while functioning as a public alternative school.
• Calgary Society for Christian Education (CSCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSCE founded CCS in 1963 as a private school and continues to operate it as an Alternative Program within Palliser. CSCE holds the school's charter, provides governance through its Board of Directors, employs staff for Christian programming, maintains facilities, and promotes, funds, and sustains CCS's mission, facilities, and programs. All K-12 families hold membership in CSCE.
• Christian Credit Union (CCU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCCU offers student bank accounts (Kindergarten to Grade 12) through CCS. Students receive savings bonuses matched and donated to the school. CCU also awards an annual $1,000 scholarship to a graduating CCS student. Benefits both students and the school financially.
• Palliser Beyond BordersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPalliser Regional Schools' international student program recruits and places international students at CCS. Palliser handles applications, immigration support, and homestay coordination while CCS provides the educational program. Host families receive $750/month per student hosted.
• Homestay FamiliesminorOthersLocal Calgary families who host international students attending CCS through Palliser Beyond Borders. Homestay families provide food, lodging, and supportive home environment, receiving $750/month compensation per student.
• Learning Adventures Preschool and Early Learning CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA preschool program located at the CCS Elementary Campus, operated by CSCE. Enrollment is open for the 2026/27 school year. Provides early childhood education in a Christ-centered environment aligned with CCS's educational philosophy.
• Emmanuel ChurchminorOthersNearby church whose parking lot is utilized by CCS for student drop-off and pick-up. The church parking lot serves as the primary traffic flow area for the Elementary Campus with designated one-way drop-off procedures.
• Calgary post-secondary institutions (Dual Credit partners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-secondary institutions partner through Palliser's Dual Credit program, allowing CCS high school students to earn both high school and post-secondary credits simultaneously. Students access courses without paying post-secondary tuition (value up to $1,400).
• Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCCE provides the Teaching for Transformation (TFT) curriculum framework used at CCS. This framework shapes curriculum through 'throughlines' that represent faith-in-action characteristics students should develop, including God-worshippers, Earth-keepers, Beauty-creators, Justice-seekers, and other attributes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brant Christian School: Fellow Palliser-affiliated Christian school operating under the same Alternative Program governance structure, sharing teacher-certification and operational infrastructure with CCS.
• Heritage Christian Academy: Independent K-12 Christian school in the Calgary region offering faith-integrated education with similar parent-profile target market, curriculum integration approach, and tuition-funded model as CCS.
• Trinity Christian School: Alberta-based Christian K-12 school with comparable faith-based mission, curriculum integration, and family-recruitment flywheel to Calgary Christian School.
• Master's Academy and College: Palliser-affiliated Christian school in southern Alberta offering K-12 plus college-track programs; directly comparable on faith-based mission and alternative-program funding model.
• Menno Simons Christian School: Palliser-affiliated Christian K-12 school in southern Alberta sharing the same Alternative Program structure, faith-integration pedagogy, and tuition-supported revenue model as CCS.
• Rundle College: Independent K-12 school in Calgary competing for the same tuition-paying, academically-oriented family segment, though without explicit faith-based mission.
• Calgary French & International School: Independent K-12 school in Calgary with comparable tuition-funded model, two-campus structure, and similar affluent-family target market to CCS.
• Webber Academy: Independent K-12 school in Calgary competing for tuition-paying families who prioritize academic rigor, extracurricular breadth, and small class sizes.

Regional players

• Providence Christian Academy: Western Canadian Christian K-12 school with comparable faith-integrated curriculum, though operating in a different provincial market than Calgary Christian School.

Broad incumbents

• Ambrose University: Calgary-area Christian higher education institution; relevant as a broader Christian-education ecosystem player that CCS graduates may feed into, though operating at the post-secondary level rather than K-12.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKGomyR-4o91iNaDl075FSg
• Facebookfacebook.com/calgarychristianschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/calgarychristianschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Calgary Christian School