Houston Private Schools

What Houston Private Schools does

Houston Private Schools, operating under its legal name Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS), is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association representing approximately 86-90 member private and independent schools across the Greater Houston area. Membership is restricted to schools accredited by TEPSAC (Texas Private School Accreditation Commission) or by a recognized religious organization, and member institutions collectively span early childhood through grade 12. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees drawn from peer member schools and staffed by 13 employees (firmographics).

Its core offerings center on a website-based platform built on the Finalsite content management system. Functional products include a searchable School Directory with filtering by school type, grade level, and student-body gender composition, a Map Search tool, an Events Calendar (with RSS feed), and a password-protected Member Portal hosting newsletters, professional development resources, and standardized Common Teacher Recommendation Forms for EC-KN, Grades 1-5, Grades 6-12 English, and Grades 6-12 Math. The association coordinates collective admissions initiatives, including a Common Reply Date, and runs an annual Summer Workshop and Fall Meeting featuring national and local speakers.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues of $250 per school, with a secondary revenue stream from separately priced Summer Workshop registration fees. Distribution to parents occurs through the public-facing website directory and Facebook page, supplemented by radio and print advertising. HAIS maintains institutional affiliations with NAIS, ISAS, and the Texas Private Schools Association and self-monitors WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility compliance.

Name

Houston Private Schools

Legal name

Houston Area Independent Schools

Website

https://houstonprivateschools.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association of approximately 86-90 accredited private and independent schools in the Greater Houston area, operating a school directory, member portal, and annual professional development events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private School Association Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Private school association
• School directory services
• Admissions professional development
• Independent school membership
• Education networking forum

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Member schools pay annual dues of $250 per year, which provides access to collaboration forums, three annual membership meetings, website presence, member portal with calendar posting, and participation in annual Summer Workshop.
2. Professional Development Events: Annual Summer Workshop featuring national and local speakers on admission and marketing topics, with a separate registration fee.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS) is a 501(c)6 non-profit professional association that maintains a searchable directory of approximately 86-90 accredited private schools in the Greater Houston area and provides member schools with collaboration, professional development, standardized admissions resources, and a coordinated Common Reply Date. Member schools pay annual dues of $250 to access the website directory, member portal, three annual meetings, and participation in the annual Summer Workshop (separate fee).

Product overview

Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS) is a non-profit 501(c)6 professional association offering a suite of services for private schools in the greater Houston area. The core offerings consist of a School Directory and Map Search for finding member schools, an Events Calendar for tracking association activities, and a Member Portal providing access to professional development resources, newsletters, and standardized teacher recommendation forms (EC-KN, Grades 1-5, Grades 6-12 English, and Grades 6-12 Math). The organization coordinates a Common Reply Date for admissions and organizes annual events including a Fall Meeting and Summer Conference. Membership costs $250 per year and includes website presence, three annual membership meetings, and participation in marketing initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Directory Searchable database of approximately 86-90 member private schools throughout the greater Houston area, allowing users to filter by school type (boarding, learning difference, non-sectarian, religious affiliation), grade level, and student body gender composition. Used by parents seeking private school options.
• Map Search Geographic search tool enabling users to locate member schools on an interactive map throughout the Greater Houston area.
• Events Calendar Calendar system for school events, including the Fall Meeting and Summer Conference, with RSS feed subscription capability for the Greater Houston school community.
• Professional Development Services Professional development opportunities for member-school admission officers, including summer workshops and marketing and communications events, with national and local speakers on admission and marketing topics.
• Common Teacher Recommendation Forms Standardized teacher recommendation forms used across member schools in the admissions process, covering EC-KN, Grades 1-5, Grades 6-12 English, and Grades 6-12 Math.
• Member Portal Password-protected section for member schools providing access to newsletters, professional development resources, calendar management, and exclusive documents through passkey authentication.

Named customers13 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• ISAS (Independent Schools Association of the Southwest)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAIS supports and is affiliated with ISAS, one of the major regional accrediting and professional organizations for independent schools. HAIS provides links to ISAS on its resources page.
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAIS maintains affiliation with NAIS, the national organization representing independent schools. HAIS provides links to NAIS resources on its website.
• Texas Private Schools AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAIS is affiliated with the Texas Private Schools Association, providing members with state-level representation and resources. Links provided on HAIS resources page.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE): Regional independent school association serving New England with a comparable mission to HAIS — admissions coordination, professional development, and collective advocacy for member schools. AISNE operates in a different geography but is structurally analogous and a useful benchmark for regional association operating models.
• California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS): Statewide professional association for independent schools in California. CAIS operates a similar membership, accreditation, and professional development model to HAIS but at a much larger scale, serving as a comparable benchmark for what HAIS could become with geographic expansion.
• School Admissions Association of New York City: Regional association coordinating independent and private school admissions in NYC, including shared reply dates and standardized forms — directly analogous to HAIS's Houston Common Reply Date and recommendation form platform in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): National trade body for independent K–12 schools, with which HAIS maintains a formal mutual affiliation. NAIS operates at the national level providing advocacy, accreditation support, and professional development, while HAIS replicates a localized version of this model for Houston — directly comparable in mission, not in scale.

Emerging players

• Niche: National K–12 school search and review platform with deep SEO presence and rich school-profile data. Niche directly competes with HAIS's school directory and map search as the primary parent-facing discovery channel for Houston private schools.
• Private School Review: Directory and review site dedicated to private K–12 schools across the U.S. It mirrors HAIS's core directory offering but at national scale, with similar search and filtering features targeting the same parent audience.
• GreatSchools: Large national school information platform covering public and private K–12 schools. GreatSchools competes with HAIS as an alternative parent-facing discovery tool, with stronger national brand recognition and broader content depth.

Direct peers

• Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS): Regional accrediting and professional association covering independent schools across the Southwest, of which HAIS member schools are often also members. ISAS serves the same target audience (admissions leaders of independent schools) and provides overlapping services (accreditation, professional development, conferences), making it HAIS's closest functional peer at a larger geographic scale.
• Texas Private Schools Association: Statewide association for Texas private schools, with which HAIS is formally affiliated. The organization provides state-level representation and resources that complement HAIS's regional Houston focus, and competes for the same member schools' attention and dues.

Others

• Finalsite: Vendor that provides the website CMS platform HAIS uses. Finalsite is not a peer in mission but is the underlying technology provider enabling HAIS's directory and member portal — relevant as a benchmark for tech-stack cost and capability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/houstonprivateschools.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-private-schools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Houston Private Schools