St Marks Episcopal School

What St Marks Episcopal School does

St. Mark's Episcopal School is a private, nonprofit Episcopal day school located at 3816 Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas, serving approximately 488 students from 18 months through 8th grade across its Primary School (Explorers & Seekers through Kindergarten), Lower School (grades 1-4), and Middle School (grades 5-8) divisions. Founded in 1960 and owned by St. Mark's Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the school operates as a parish day school accredited by SWAES, ISASW, NAES, and NAIS, with an inclusive Episcopal identity that welcomes students of all faiths. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Lindsay Strattan (term 2026-2029), with day-to-day operations led by Head of School Garhett Wagers (since 2010) and CFO/Director of Operations Eve Grubb, supported by division heads and a dedicated Strategic Enrollment & Marketing Director.

The school's academic product is built on third-party curricula including Amplify CKLA (literacy), Illustrative Math, Project Lead the Way (STEAM), Godly Play (religion), Kodály Today and Quaver (music), Orton-Gillingham via the Neuhaus Education Center-affiliated Reading Room, and Conscious Discipline for classroom management. Differentiated offerings include the Zero Hour pre-school-day advanced program (Biology, Geometry, Mandarin Chinese, Math in Action), an Academic Achievement Center, and an athletics program with a no-cut policy achieving 75% middle-school participation and 44 athletic titles, complemented by visual arts, music, dance, and two annual musical theater productions. The technology layer is thin: vendor portals (MySchoolApp, CampBrain, Blackbaud Tuition Management) handle parent communications, camp registration, and tuition processing, with no proprietary platform or developer-facing API.

The revenue model is tuition-driven and recurring, with grade-banded annual tuition ranging from $17,750 (Explorers/Seekers) to $31,500 (8th grade), supplemented by tiered Before/After Care ($675-$4,815 add-on), Summer at St. Mark's Camp at $350-$600/week, application ($100), new-student ($495), and registration ($595) fees, and an Annual Fund averaging $1,000 per student, plus biennial Gala/UnGala proceeds and Scarborough Fair/Parent Guild events. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer family enrollment, with weekly campus tours September through December, parent preview events, virtual coffees, and an online inquiry form, prioritizing church members, current-student siblings, and alumni children in admission decisions. The market served is the Houston metropolitan area's West University, Southside, and Bellaire neighborhoods.

Name

St Marks Episcopal School

Legal name

St. Mark's Episcopal School

Website

https://stmes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Mark's Episcopal School is a nonprofit Episcopal day school in Houston, Texas, founded in 1960, serving approximately 488 students from 18 months through 8th grade via tuition-based Primary, Lower, and Middle School divisions with enrichment in arts, athletics, and academic support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Private school education
• Episcopal day school
• P-8 academic programs
• Summer day camp
• Extended care childcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Altadena, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. Tuition varies by grade level from $17,750 for Explorers/Seekers to $31,500 for 8th grade. Payment options include lump sum, two installments, and 10 installments. Tuition includes textbooks, materials, field trip fees, and dining for Preschool 3s through 8th grade.
2. Extended Care Programs: Before and after school care programs providing adult supervision and activities. Before Care available from 7:00 AM, After Care until 6:00 PM for additional fees added to tuition.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Summer at St. Mark's day camp with 8 weekly sessions. Programs include Little Lions Camp, Pre-K through 4th grade camps with activity routes, Counselor-in-Training program, and Middle School Internship program. Optional lunch program available.
4. Staycations and Seasonal Camps: Camp offerings during school breaks and days off, themed with art, gym games, outdoor play, and seasonal activities. Staffed by Extended Care staff and school faculty.
5. Annual Giving and Gala: Annual Fund supports operating budget for technology, curriculum, professional development, and facilities. Gala events (even years) and UnGala events (odd years) fund special campus projects.
6. Special Events Revenue: Scarborough Fair annual fall festival with rides, games, and food sales. Parent Guild events including used uniform sales and sponsorship revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

St. Mark's Episcopal School is a private P-8 Christian day school providing tuition-based academic instruction for children 18 months through 8th grade, organized into Primary, Lower, and Middle School divisions. The school supplements classroom academics with enrichment in arts, athletics, social-emotional learning, and service learning, and offers ancillary fee-based services including Before/After Extended Care, Staycations, and a Summer at St. Mark's day camp. All offerings are delivered on its single Bellaire Boulevard campus in Houston, Texas, with priority admission given to church members, siblings, and alumni children.

Product overview

St. Mark's Episcopal School is a private Christian school serving students from 18 months through 8th grade. The institution operates a three-division structure: Primary School (Explorers & Seekers through Kindergarten), Lower School (grades 1-4), and Middle School (grades 5-8). The school offers a comprehensive educational program combining strong academics with enrichment programs including arts, athletics, and social-emotional learning. Additional offerings include Summer at St. Mark's Camp, Extended Care programs, and specialized support services such as the Reading Room (Orton-Gillingham-based literacy intervention) and Academic Achievement Center. Middle school students can access advanced coursework through Zero Hour and elective collections. The school utilizes educational curricula including Amplify CKLA, Illustrative Math, Project Lead the Way (STEAM), Godly Play (religion), Kodály (music), and Conscious Discipline (classroom management).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary School Program Active learning program for children 18 months through Kindergarten, supporting innate intellectual curiosity through Creative Curriculum, Number Corner, Rice Literacy & Culture, and STEAM integration, delivered on the Bellaire Boulevard campus.
• Lower School Program Elementary education program for grades 1-4 rooted in reading, writing, researching, questioning, and problem-solving using Amplify CKLA, Illustrative Math, and Project Lead the Way STEAM curriculum, delivered on campus.
• Middle School Program Middle school program for grades 5-8 designed to inspire learning and prepare students for high school, featuring language arts, math, science, history, Spanish, electives, and Zero Hour advanced courses.
• Summer at St. Mark's Day Camp Day camp program for children ages 18 months through 8th grade with eight themed weekly sessions (Creator, Adventurer, Inventor routes), Counselor-in-Training program, and Middle School Internship program with field trips.
• Athletics Program Athletics program offering soccer, basketball, volleyball, cross country, baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, swimming, golf, bounce ball, and touch football for Lower School and Middle School under a no-cut policy.
• Arts Program Fine arts curriculum including visual arts, music (St. Mark's Singers, Middle School Choir), dance, and musical theater with two productions per year, delivered on campus.
• Extended Programs (Before/After Care and Seasonal Camps) Before-school care (from 7:00 AM), after-school care (until 6:00 PM) for Preschool 3s through 8th grade, plus themed Staycations and Seasonal Camps during school breaks.
• Reading Room Literacy Intervention Program Specialized literacy intervention for students with diagnosed reading differences, combining Basic Language Skills from Neuhaus Education Center with the Orton-Gillingham approach.
• Academic Achievement Center Multi-use learning space providing testing accommodations, differentiation, structured study hall, daily homework help, and access to sensory tools and flexible seating options for all students.
• Social-Emotional Learning Program Character education program teaching trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship through Conscious Discipline strategies in Primary School and Life 101 sessions in Middle School.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44 athletic titles won in middle school athletics
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1960St. Mark's Episcopal School is a parish day school owned by St. Mark's Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The church provides governance oversight and the school operates as an extension of the church's ministry.
• Episcopal Diocese of TexasflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1960Co-owner of St. Mark's Episcopal School alongside St. Mark's Episcopal Church, providing denominational oversight and connection to the broader Episcopal school network.
• Southwestern Association of Episcopal SchoolscoreOthersAccrediting body for Episcopal schools in the southwestern United States. St. Mark's holds accreditation from this organization.
• Independent Schools Association of the SouthwestcoreOthersRegional accrediting body for independent schools. St. Mark's holds accreditation from ISAASW.
• National Association of Episcopal SchoolscoreOthersNational organization representing Episcopal schools. St. Mark's holds membership and accreditation recognition.
• National Association of Independent SchoolscoreOthersNational organization for independent private schools. St. Mark's holds membership.
• Taher, InccoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFood service partner providing fresh, locally sourced meals for students. Taher brings educational tie-ins to units of study and creative multicultural menu options.
• Houston Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService learning partner for middle school students who visit the Food Bank as part of their service learning curriculum.
• Houston Care Partners Dementia Day CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService learning partner where middle school students engage in community service learning experiences.
• The Beacon Homeless Day CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService learning partner for middle school students learning about homelessness and serving the community.
• Camp OlympiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer overnight camp destination for 6th grade class trips focusing on teamwork, nature, ecosystems, and faith development.
• Collaborative Academic Testing ServicesminorOthersExternal testing service provider for admission testing of Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade applicants (WPPSI-IV testing).
• Educational Records Bureau (ERB)minorOthersProvider of Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) for 2nd-8th grade admission testing. St. Mark's ISEE code is 447585.
• Neuhaus Education CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Basic Language Skills curriculum used in the Reading Room program for students with dyslexia and reading differences.
• Project Lead the WaycoreTechnology or IntegrationSTEAM curriculum provider used across Primary, Lower, and Middle School for hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Annunciation Orthodox School: Houston-based P-8 faith-based independent school (Orthodox Christian identity, but broadly inclusive). Direct P-8 peer with similar tuition ranges, athletics no-cut policy, and inclusion of students across denominations—closely mirroring St. Mark's Episcopal model.
• Trinity Episcopal School: Houston Episcopal parish day school operating as P-8 institution with similar faith-based identity and academic/athletics structure. Operates as an immediate denominationally-aligned peer within the same Houston market.
• The Post Oak School: Houston-based private school serving infants through 8th grade with Montessori philosophy. Direct competitor in the early-childhood and elementary Houston private-school market with comparable tuition and same family demographic.
• Episcopal High School (Houston): Houston Episcopal high school (9-12) serving many St. Mark's graduates. Represents the natural upper-school continuation path and a denominator-aligned peer institution operating under shared Episcopal diocesan governance.
• The Kinkaid School: Pre-K through 12 independent day school in Houston serving the same families as St. Mark's. Comparable in offering a comprehensive academic program with strong athletics, arts, and college preparatory focus, and similar premium tuition structure.
• Awty International School: Houston-area private day school offering P-12 education with strong international curriculum (IB and French track). Competes with St. Mark's for the same Houston private-school family pool and offers similar premium tuition and enrichment programs.
• Emery/Weiner School: Houston-area private Jewish day school serving grades 6-12 with strong athletics and college prep focus. Comparable private-school tuition and academic positioning to St. Mark's, competing for similar Houston families seeking values-based education.
• St. John's School (Houston): Houston's leading co-educational independent K-12 day school and direct competitor within the same Houston private-school market. Like St. Mark's, it charges premium tuition and serves families across the same affluent neighborhoods of West University and River Oaks.
• The Village School: Houston private K-12 school with comparable program breadth including STEAM curriculum, athletics, and diverse faith-based student representation. Overlaps directly with St. Mark's middle-school and primary-school positioning.
• The Regis School of the Sacred Heart: Houston-area Catholic private school (K-8) with strong athletics, arts, and faith-based identity. Mirrors St. Mark's P-8 model, tuition structure, and inclusion of multiple faith traditions while operating within a different (Catholic) denominational network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFPWzMaZsCjlI8T2v7dRSQw
• Facebookfacebook.com/stmeshouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/stmeshouston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-marks-episcopal-school

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 St Marks Episcopal School