Central Florida Aerospace Academy

What Central Florida Aerospace Academy does

Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) is a public magnet high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Lakeland, Florida, operating as a career academy within the Kathleen Senior High School campus under the Polk County Public Schools district. The institution's core offering is an aerospace- and aviation-themed educational program that combines standard college-preparatory academics with six Career and Technical Education (CTE) academies designed to prepare students for real-world careers in aerospace and related fields. Beyond CTE, the school fields 21 FHSAA competitive athletic teams, runs award-winning visual, digital, and performing arts programs, and supports more than 25 student clubs and organizations.

The underlying technology stack is standard public-school infrastructure — learning management systems, student information systems, ClassLink single sign-on, and district-managed Parent and Student portals — with no proprietary technology or AI components. The Business Partners program functions as the school's primary external industry interface, connecting students with local aerospace and aviation employers for mentorship, internships, and career exploration.

The business model is that of a government-funded public school: no tuition is charged, and revenue derives from state allocations under the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), local property tax revenues, and federal education grants channeled through Polk County Public Schools. Enrollment is managed through the district's school choice application and lottery process, and marketing is conducted via the district website, RSS-fed news, an event calendar, and community outreach. The customer base is essentially a single channel — Polk County families electing the program through district enrollment.

Name

Central Florida Aerospace Academy

Legal name

Central Florida Aerospace Academy

Website

https://flycfaa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Florida Aerospace Academy is a public magnet high school (Grades 9-12) in Lakeland, Florida, operated by Polk County Public Schools. It delivers aerospace-focused CTE academies, athletics, fine arts, and clubs to district-enrolled students at no tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public high school within Polk County Public Schools, the academy is funded through state and local tax revenues, Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) allocations, and federal education grants. No tuition is charged to students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Central Florida Aerospace Academy is a public high school (Grades 9-12) that delivers secondary education with a specialized focus on aerospace and aviation, structured around six Career and Technical Education (CTE) career academies that prepare students for real-world jobs. The school supplements academics with 21 FHSAA competitive sports teams, award-winning fine arts programs, and over 25 student clubs and organizations, all delivered free of tuition as part of the Polk County Public Schools district.

Product overview

Central Florida Aerospace Academy operates as a public high school (Grades 9-12) within Polk County Public Schools, offering a unified educational program focused on aerospace and career preparation. The institution provides six CTE career academies, 21 athletic programs, award-winning fine arts, and over 25 extracurricular clubs. Students access educational services through online portals (Parent Portal, Student Portal) and ClassLink single sign-on. The school is partnered with Kathleen Senior High School and serves the Lakeland, Florida community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTE Career Academies

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates prepared for both college and career pathways

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Business Partners ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe academy maintains a dedicated Business Partners program under its 'Get Involved' section, connecting students with local aerospace and aviation industry employers for mentorship, internships, career exploration, and real-world learning opportunities. This program provides businesses a pathway to engage with and support the next generation of aerospace professionals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Kathleen Senior High School: The partner public high school co-located with CFAA on the Kathleen Senior High School campus in Lakeland, Florida. Directly comparable as a Polk County public high school sharing facilities, district funding, and student services infrastructure.
• Raisbeck Aviation High School: A public aviation-themed high school in Tukwila, Washington (Grades 9-12), offering college-prep curriculum integrated with aviation-focused CTE and strong industry partnerships. Closely comparable as an aerospace-specialized public magnet high school.
• George T. Baker Aviation School: A public aviation-themed magnet high school in Miami-Dade County, Florida (Grades 9-12), directly comparable as a Florida public high school specializing in aviation/aerospace CTE with industry partnership programs. Operates in a similar magnet/school-choice model within a Florida district.

Broad incumbents

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: A private university specializing in aviation and aerospace education (Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ), offering degree programs from undergraduate through doctoral. Comparable as a Florida-based aerospace education institution, but serves a much broader higher-education audience rather than the K-12 segment CFAA targets.

Others

• Polk County Public Schools: The parent government school district that operates CFAA and provides funding, governance, and shared services. Comparable as the organizational umbrella and primary funding/regulatory structure within which CFAA operates, though it is not a peer in the competitive sense.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-florida-aerospace-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Central Florida Aerospace Academy