Holy Cross School

What Holy Cross School does

Holy Cross School is a private Catholic K-8 school located in Santa Cruz, California, founded in 1862 and recognized as the sixth oldest private school in California. The school operates as a nonprofit ministry of Holy Cross Parish under the Diocese of Monterey and serves students across two distinct programs: a Preschool for children ages 2-5 and a K-8 elementary program. Its student base consists of individual families enrolled in tuition-paying slots rather than institutional contracts or third-party payers.

The school generates revenue primarily through tuition, with K-8 tuition set at $9,750 per year and Preschool tuition ranging from $9,515 to $16,225 per year depending on schedule and programming intensity. Operations are supported by a staff of 62 employees. The technology infrastructure is built on commodity K-12 administrative tools rather than proprietary platforms: Beehively CMS for the public-facing website, Google Forms for internal workflows, eService Payments (Vanco) for tuition collection, EdJoin for staff hiring, and FACTS for financial and administrative management. There is no indication of proprietary technology development or differentiated technical IP.

The school holds dual accreditation through 2030 from the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Beyond core academics, the school operates an extracurricular ecosystem including athletics, choir, and a cross-grade Buddy Program. Historically, the school operated a high school program that was closed in 1970, after which the institution refocused exclusively on K-8. The school's longevity, parish affiliation, and dual accreditation constitute the principal institutional credentials that support enrollment stability.

Name

Holy Cross School

Legal name

Holy Cross School

Website

https://holycsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Holy Cross School is a private Catholic K-8 school in Santa Cruz, California, founded in 1862. It serves preschool and elementary-aged students through tuition-based programs and operates as a nonprofit ministry of the Diocese of Monterey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611)

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 Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE)

Keywords

• Catholic K-8 education
• Private elementary school
• Preschool programs
• Extended child care
• Faith-based schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. K-8 Tuition: Annual tuition for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, billed according to school year
2. Preschool and Pre-K Tuition: Flexible tuition options for preschool programs based on enrollment days and hours (full-day or half-day, M-F or T/W/Th)
3. Summer Program: Summer school program offered June through July with separate tuition
4. Extended Care Services: Before and after school care services with annual registration fee and daily/annual rates

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holy Cross School is a private Catholic school offering a comprehensive K-8 education program aligned with Common Core standards, a play-based preschool for children ages two through five, an after-school Extended Care service, and a Summer Program. The core academic offering integrates religion, visual arts, music, Spanish, and physical education alongside core subjects, with dual accreditation from WCEA and WASC through 2030.

Product overview

Holy Cross School operates as a unified educational institution offering a comprehensive Catholic education program for students from preschool through eighth grade. The core K-8 Education Program (grades K-8) provides rigorous academic instruction aligned with Common Core standards, while the Preschool Program serves children ages 2-5 with developmentally appropriate, play-based learning. The school supplements its core curriculum with specialty programs including an Athletics Program (competitive sports for grades 5-8), Choir (liturgical music for school Masses), Student Council (leadership development), Buddy Program (intergenerational mentorship), and Altar Servers Ministry. Additional services include Extended Care (after-school supervision) and a Summer Program. The institution holds dual accreditation from WCEA and WASC and has been educating students since 1862.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Education Program Comprehensive Catholic education program for students from kindergarten through 8th grade, aligned with Common Core standards. Includes core curriculum in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies, plus instruction in Art, Spanish, P.E., liturgical music, and religion. Students earn service learning, faith formation, and spiritual development alongside rigorous academics.
• Preschool Program Early childhood education program for children ages two through five, including preschool and pre-kindergarten levels. Features play-based learning, social-emotional development, and preparation for kindergarten, with curriculum including religion, language arts (Handwriting Without Tears), math, science, art, music/movement, and Spanish.
• Summer Program Summer school program running from mid-June through late July, offering full-day care with academic and enrichment activities for enrolled students. Priced at $2,150 for the summer session.
• Athletics Program Sports program for students in grades 5-8 offering seasonal teams including basketball, flag football, cross country, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, track and field, and golf. Younger students can participate in Spirit Squad, Soccer Club, and Running Club.
• Choir Program Student choir program for school Masses and prayer services, teaching fundamentals of choral singing and voice production. Choristers rehearse weekly and participate in parish Masses and regional festivals.
• Student Council Middle school leadership development program providing opportunities for student leaders to serve as examples, promote the school's mission, and assist in organizing school activities.
• Buddy Program Mentorship program pairing 8th grade students with younger students for guidance and care. Also connects students with seniors at Dominican Oaks Retirement Community for intergenerational service.
• Altar Servers Ministry Ministry training students who have received First Holy Communion to assist during Mass, open to boys and girls of Holy Cross Parish.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit network of public charter K-12 schools. Comparable as a large-scale K-12 education operator competing for the same value-driven family segment, but operating a tuition-free, multi-site charter model versus Holy Cross's tuition-based parish school model.
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of Catholic college-prep high schools. Adjacent Catholic education operator serving a similar mission-aligned family segment but focused on the high school level rather than K-8.
• Seton Education Partners: National Catholic education organization operating and supporting Catholic elementary schools across multiple states. Comparable as a broader Catholic K-8 operator but at significantly greater scale and with a multi-site, networked operating model versus Holy Cross's single-campus footprint.

Direct peers

• Pacific School: Independent, non-sectarian K-6 school located in Santa Cruz, CA. Directly comparable as a small, community-anchored private elementary school serving the same Santa Cruz families with a similar tuition-driven model.
• Good Shepherd Catholic School: Catholic K-8 parish school in the broader California market. Directly comparable as a faith-based K-8 school operating under diocesan parish oversight with tuition-based enrollment and similar academic and extracurricular programming.
• Baymonte Christian School: Private Christian K-8 school in Scotts Valley, CA (minutes from Santa Cruz). Comparable as a faith-based K-8 school serving overlapping Santa Cruz County families with tuition-based enrollment, athletics, and auxiliary programming.
• Spring Hill School: Independent K-6 school in Santa Cruz County (Scotts Valley). Comparable as a small private elementary school competing for the same families in the immediate Santa Cruz area with similar pricing and tuition-based revenue model.

Regional players

• Diocese of Monterey Catholic Schools: Regional diocesan office overseeing Catholic schools (including Holy Cross) across the Monterey Bay region. Comparable as the governing body and peer cohort of regional Catholic schools with similar operating models, accreditation, and parish-based governance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/holycsc
• Instagraminstagram.com/holycross_school/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-cross-school_2

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Holy Cross School