Yellowstone Schools

What Yellowstone Schools does

Yellowstone Schools is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit K-12 educational institution serving more than 700 students across PreK-12th grade on a single campus in the Third Ward neighborhood. The organization operates as a cooperative of two distinct school systems: a private Christian lower school (PreK-5th) and a tuition-free public charter upper school (6th-12th) operated through a partnership with IDEA Public Schools. The lower school charges $18,862.47 in annual tuition but provides 100% financial aid coverage to all enrolled families, while the upper school receives per-pupil public charter funding. The school also benefits from the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, which provides $10,474 per child annually for lower school tuition reimbursement.

The educational offering includes a designated Early College High School program allowing students to earn up to 60 dual-enrollment college credits by graduation, supported by small class sizes (17-18 students, 18:1 student-teacher ratio). The campus comprises a restored 1926 historic Douglass Elementary building and a new 51,000 sq ft wing completed in 2023, with facilities including science labs, library, cafeteria, outdoor classrooms, and athletic courts. The school's technology stack is standard SaaS: ParentSquare for parent communication, Skyward for student information, Raptor for visitor management, and Qgiv for fundraising events. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are present.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit funding structure combining per-pupil charter funding (upper school), state TEFA reimbursement (lower school), and a substantial donor fundraising operation. The school completed a $30 million comprehensive campaign ("Yellowstone. Forever.") in 2022-23, and operates an annual development program with signature events (Golf Classic, Party in the Park), corporate partnerships, and a structured volunteer network. Revenue streams are diversified across public funding, private donations, in-kind gifts, and state program reimbursements, with roughly 95 employees supporting operations.

Name

Yellowstone Schools

Legal name

Yellowstone Academy

Website

https://yellowstoneschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Yellowstone Schools is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) non-profit K-12 institution serving 700+ students across PreK-12th grade via a private Christian lower school and a tuition-free public charter upper school, operated through a partnership with IDEA Public Schools on a single Third Ward campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• K-12 private education
• Charter school services
• Christian school education
• Early college program
• Primary secondary schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Private School Tuition (Lower School): Lower school tuition of $18,862.47 per student annually, though 100% covered through generous financial aid packages provided to all enrolled students
2. Public Charter School Funding (Upper School): Tuition-free public charter school operating through IDEA Public Schools. Receives per-pupil public funding for 6th-12th grade students
3. Donations and Fundraising: Completed $30 million comprehensive campaign 'Yellowstone. Forever.' Includes cash, appreciated securities, IRA distributions, Donor-Advised Funds, life insurance gifts, and estate giving. Also receives in-kind donations and corporate sponsorships
4. Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA): State program providing $10,474 per child annually to support private school tuition. Families encouraged to apply and allocate funds to Yellowstone. Currently applies to lower school; upper school (public charter) currently ineligible

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Yellowstone Schools operates two tuition-supported K-12 campuses in Houston, Texas: a Lower School (PreK through 5th grade) private Christian school funded entirely through donations so that students receive 100% financial aid, and an Upper School (6th through 12th grade) tuition-free public charter school operated in partnership with IDEA Public Schools. The schools deliver college-preparatory academics, an Early College High School program, athletics, and faith-based character formation to families in the Third Ward and surrounding Houston neighborhoods.

Product overview

Yellowstone Schools is a K-12 educational institution consisting of two distinct school systems: (1) Lower School — a private Christian school serving PreK-5th grade with tuition offset by 100% financial aid, and (2) Upper School — a tuition-free public charter school serving 6th-12th grade in partnership with IDEA Public Schools. The schools share a unified mission, values, culture, and leadership under one campus in Houston's Third Ward. Additional offerings include an Early College High School program enabling students to earn up to 60 college credits, a full athletics program (volleyball, basketball, track, cheer/dance), bus transportation, meals, and comprehensive student support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lower School (PreK-5th Grade)
• Upper School (6th-12th Grade)
• Early College High School Program
• Athletics Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of first graduating class graduated from high school and 80% pursued college education
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IDEA Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIDEA Public Schools is the charter organization partner for Yellowstone's upper school (6th-12th grade). The upper school operates as a tuition-free public charter school under IDEA's network. Students apply through IDEA's website and the school follows IDEA's policies and systems. This partnership enables Yellowstone to offer free public education alongside its private Christian lower school.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDEA Public Schools: IDEA Public Schools is the charter authorizer/partner for Yellowstone's upper school (6th-12th). Both operate tuition-free public charter campuses in the Houston region serving college-prep curricula, with similar GTM motions (community-based enrollment) and overlapping target families in underserved Houston neighborhoods.
• KIPP Texas: KIPP Texas operates a network of tuition-free public charter schools across Houston serving predominantly low-income communities with a college-prep mission. It directly competes with Yellowstone for charter-eligible families in Houston ISD and shares similar Early College and dual-enrollment strategies.
• YES Prep Public Schools: YES Prep is a Houston-based public charter system offering college-prep from elementary through high school, including Early College and dual-enrollment pathways. It directly competes with Yellowstone for the same Southeast Houston and Third Ward families and has a comparable outcomes-driven value proposition.
• Houston Christian High School: Houston Christian is a private faith-based college-prep school serving grades 6-12 in the Houston area. While tuition-based and not directly competitive on price, it is a structural peer in faith-based, college-prep secondary education for Houston families.

Broad incumbents

• Cristo Rey Network: Cristo Rey is a national network of Catholic, college-prep high schools serving low-income communities with a corporate work-study model. While not in Houston, it is highly comparable to Yellowstone's faith-based, underserved-community, college-prep identity and outcomes focus.
• The Village School: The Village School is a Houston-area private (non-faith-based) PK-12 school with rigorous college prep and international baccalaureate offerings. It competes for tuition-paying Houston families at the private-school end of the market Yellowstone's lower school occupies.
• Houston ISD: Houston Independent School District is the default public K-12 provider in Yellowstone's service area. It is the primary alternative against which Yellowstone positions its smaller class sizes, faith-based programming, and Early College pathway.
• St. John's School: St. John's is a premier Houston-area private PK-12 college-prep school. While serving a much higher-income population, it is a relevant reference point for what 'best-in-class' private K-12 outcomes and parental expectations look like in the Houston market.

Regional players

• Uplift Education: Uplift Education is a Dallas-Fort Worth-based public charter network serving PreK-12 with a college-prep mission. While not operating in Houston, it is a useful Texas charter comparable with similar dual-enrollment, community-recruitment, and underserved-community positioning.
• Harmony Public Schools: Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-wide STEM-focused public charter system. Although primarily serving other Texas metros, it is a structural peer in terms of charter operating model, per-pupil funding reliance, and college-prep orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/set

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Yellowstone Schools