What Cardiff School District does

Cardiff School District is a public elementary school district established in 1913 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, operating under California state education code as a government entity. It serves approximately 610 students across two campuses — Cardiff School (grades K-2) at 1888 Montgomery Avenue and Ada Harris School (grades 3-6) at 1508 Windsor Road — both designated California Distinguished Schools. The district employs roughly 124 staff members and is governed by a 5-member elected Board of Trustees, with Jill Vinson serving as Superintendent.

The district's core offering is K-6 public education built around a Lifelong Learner Profile framework, supplemented by specialty programs including STEAM Labs, music (including the Ada Harris Wildcat Band), physical education, Spanish, gardening, and art. Technology infrastructure relies on standard EdTech platforms — Google Classroom, Schoology, Seesaw for instruction, and ParentVUE, Procare, and Facilitron for enrollment, Extended Day childcare management, and facility rentals. Auxiliary services include an Extended Day childcare program (monthly fees of $250-$385), the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program (free to all students under California's AB 130), Special Education with IEP support, and facility rentals via Facilitron.

The district's funding model is driven by state apportionment, local property taxes, and federal programs (Title I, Special Education, National School Lunch), with supplemental revenue from Extended Day tuition, developer fees, and facility rentals. Go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer, leveraging the Cardiff SEA parent organization for fundraising and volunteer support. Customer relationships are anchored in long residency-bound relationships within a single affluent coastal community in North San Diego County.

Name

Cardiff School District

Legal name

Cardiff School District

Website

https://cardiffschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cardiff School District is a California public elementary school district serving approximately 610 K-6 students across two California Distinguished Schools (Cardiff School K-2 and Ada Harris School 3-6) in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, funded by state apportionment, local property taxes, and federal programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Elementary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public elementary education
• K-6 school district
• Extended day childcare
• Child nutrition programs
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff by the Sea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: District funded through state apportionment, local property taxes, and federal programs including Title I, Special Education, and National School Lunch Program reimbursements
2. National School Lunch & Breakfast Program: Federal reimbursements for breakfast and lunch programs based on student enrollment and household income eligibility; California Universal Meals Program (AB 130) provides free meals to all students
3. Extended Day Childcare Fees: Monthly tuition for before/after school childcare: Half Day Kindergarten $250/month, Full Day Kindergarten $385/month, Grades 1-6 $285/month; summer camps at $220/week
4. Developer Fees: Fees collected from new construction development within district boundaries to fund school facility improvements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cardiff School District operates two public elementary schools in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California — Cardiff School (kindergarten through 2nd grade) and Ada Harris School (3rd through 6th grade) — serving approximately 610 students. The district delivers core K-6 public education supported by specialty programs (STEAM Lab, music/band, physical education, gardening, Spanish), plus auxiliary services including before- and after-school Extended Day childcare, a free universal child nutrition program, Special Education with IEP support, and student services. The district is funded by state apportionment, local property taxes, and federal grants, and operates under a locally elected 5-member Board of Trustees.

Product overview

Cardiff School District operates as a two-school elementary district (K-6) with Cardiff School serving grades K-2 and Ada Harris School serving grades 3-6, both recognized as California Distinguished Schools. The district provides educational programs supported by specialty offerings including STEAM Lab, Music (including the Wildcat Band), Physical Education, and Gardening. Auxiliary services include an Extended Day childcare program, universal free meal program through the National School Lunch Program, Special Education with IEP support, Student Services encompassing safety and counseling, and Information Technology Services supporting digital learning and student data privacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cardiff School District K-6 Education
• Cardiff School (K-2)
• Ada Harris School (3-6)
• Extended Day Program
• Child Nutrition Program
• Special Education Services
• Student Services
• STEAM Lab Program
• Ada Harris Wildcat Band

Quantifiable outcome

• Top schools and districts in California each year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Rob Machado FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for environmental and sustainability initiatives; funded green initiatives including greening the cafeteria and gardens, reducing plastic water bottle use, and installing refillable water bottle stations; aligns with Go Green department programs
• FacilitronsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform for facility use request management, reservation processing, payment collection, and insurance verification; enables 24/7 facility rental requests and real-time availability viewing
• Feeding San DiegosupportingOthersProvides summer meal locations for students during summer break when school meal programs are not in session
• Cardiff SEA (Schools Education Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent-staff organization providing financial and volunteer support to schools; funds specialty programs including STEAM labs, music, physical education, Spanish, gardening, art; organizes major fundraisers including Halloween events, parents-only night out, and Ice Cream Social

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Del Mar Union School District: K-6 public elementary district in coastal North San Diego with similarly small scale and high-achieving reputation. Directly comparable on size, awards, and parent-engagement-driven programming.
• Encinitas Union School District: Adjacent K-6 public elementary district in Encinitas, CA, with overlapping coastal catchment and similar community-funded enrichment model. Most direct comparator for boundary, demographics, and program structure.
• Bonsall Unified School District: Smaller K-12 public district in inland North San Diego with comparable scale challenges and rural/coastal-mix demographics. Comparable funding structure and reliance on property taxes and developer fees.
• Rancho Santa Fe School District: Small K-6 public elementary district in the affluent Rancho Santa Fe enclave adjacent to Cardiff. Comparable scale, similar property-tax-heavy funding base, and similar ability to fund specialty programming.
• Solana Beach School District: K-6 public elementary district immediately south of Cardiff-by-the-Sea with comparable enrollment scale and coastal demographics. Operates under the same state funding framework with similar extended-day and specialty program offerings.

Regional players

• San Dieguito Union High School District: Grades 7-12 district that receives Cardiff's K-6 graduates into its feeder pattern. Operates in the same North San Diego coastal corridor and shares boundary overlap, making it the natural downstream peer for student transition.
• Oceanside Unified School District: K-12 public district in adjacent North San Diego coastal city operating under the same state funding regime. Comparable district structure but with a materially larger and more diverse enrollment.
• San Marcos Unified School District: Larger K-12 district serving inland North San Diego communities. Comparable California public school funding model but operates at materially larger scale and serves a different demographic profile.

Broad incumbents

• Poway Unified School District: Large K-12 district in inland North San Diego known for high academic performance. Serves as a benchmark for California Distinguished School outcomes at greater scale than Cardiff.
• Carlsbad Unified School District: Larger K-12 unified district in coastal North San Diego that competes for the same family demographic across a broader geographic footprint. Provides a scale contrast versus Cardiff's small-district operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardiff-school-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 Cardiff School District