Westerly Public Schools

What Westerly Public Schools does

Westerly Public Schools is a public K-12 school district operated under the Town of Westerly, Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Department of Education, serving students from preschool through grade 12. The district operates five schools — Westerly High School (grades 9-12), Westerly Middle School (grades 5-8), Springbrook Elementary, State Street Elementary, and Dunn's Corner Elementary — plus the Babcock Hall Inclusionary Preschool for children ages 3-5. Its services span academic instruction, special education (IDEA, Section 504, MTSS framework), transportation, nutrition, athletics under RIIL, and family supports including the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance program and free/reduced lunch under the National School Lunch Program.

The district's technology stack is a conventional consumer-of-edtech profile: PowerSchool SIS for student data/grades/attendance, Clever for single sign-on, Frontline Education for absence management and professional growth, SchoolDish for meal menus, Boardmaker for special-education visual supports, IncidentIQ for IT helpdesk/asset management, and Finalsite for the district website. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are developed in-house; the differentiation is operational, regulatory, and community-based rather than technical. Core service delivery is in-person through school attendance zones, with a PowerSchool-based parent/student portal for self-serve information access.

The business model is government-funded and not a traditional revenue-generating enterprise. Westerly Public Schools is funded through a combination of local property tax revenues, Rhode Island state education aid, and federal grants (including IDEA and National School Lunch Program). Education is provided tuition-free to district residents, with selective fee-based preschool capacity allocated by lottery. Supplemental capital comes from private fundraising through the Westerly Education Endowment Fund (WEEF) and targeted campaigns (e.g., Sal Augeri Field). The district is governed by an elected School Committee, is non-investor-backed, and reports to local voters, with no M&A, equity raise, or ownership-change surface area.

Name

Westerly Public Schools

Legal name

Westerly Public Schools

Website

https://westerly.k12.ri.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Westerly Public Schools is a publicly funded K-12 school district in Westerly, Rhode Island, operating five schools and an inclusionary preschool that serve students ages 3-18 with academic, special education, transportation, nutrition, and family support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Preschool programs
• Special education services
• Student transportation services
• School nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: District funded through a combination of local tax revenues, state education aid, and federal grants. Revenue supports educational programs, operations, facilities, and staffing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Westerly Public Schools is a public school district providing free Pre-K through Grade 12 education to residents of Westerly, Rhode Island through five schools (one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools) and an inclusionary preschool. Core offerings encompass academic instruction, special education services under a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), student transportation, nutrition programs (free and reduced lunch via Aramark), athletics, and family/community support services including McKinney-Vento assistance.

Product overview

Westerly Public Schools is a public school district operating as a unified educational services platform consisting of five schools: Westerly High School (grades 9-12), Westerly Middle School (grades 5-8), and three elementary schools (Springbrook, State Street, and Dunn's Corner). The district also operates Babcock Hall Inclusionary Preschool for children ages 3-5. Supporting the core academic programs are integrated technology services including PowerSchool SIS for student information management, transportation services, Aramark-managed food services, special education programs through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and a Technology Help Desk. The district serves students across the community with a mission to create an inspiring, challenging, and supportive environment where students reach their highest potential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Westerly High School Public high school education program for Grades 9-12 offering graduation requirements, college/career preparation, athletics (Westerly Bulldogs), and extracurricular activities for residents of the Westerly school district.
• Westerly Middle School Public middle school education program for Grades 5-8, providing transition from elementary to high school curriculum with increasing academic rigor and adolescent development support.
• Springbrook Elementary School Public elementary school providing foundational education for students in early grades within the Springbrook attendance area of the Westerly school district.
• State Street Elementary School Public elementary school providing foundational education for young students within the State Street attendance area of the Westerly school district.
• Dunn's Corner Elementary School Public elementary school serving students in the Dunn's Corner area of the Westerly school district with foundational K-4 education.
• Babcock Hall Inclusionary Preschool Inclusive preschool program for children ages 3-5 operated through a lottery enrollment system, located at the district's central administration building at 23 Highland Avenue in Westerly.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education programs and services including IDEA eligibility determination, continuum of services placement, and ABCs of Special Education resources for students requiring IEPs and Section 504 accommodations.
• Student Transportation Services School bus transportation services including route information, bus stop change requests, out-of-district transportation requests, and transportation supports for eligible students within the Westerly school district.
• School Nutrition Services (Aramark) Student meal program providing free and reduced-price lunch through the National School Lunch Program, delivered in partnership with Aramark and supported by summer grab-and-go meal distribution options.
• Technology Help Desk IT support services provided to district students, staff, and community members through the IncidentIQ help desk platform for technology incident reporting and asset management.

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aramark Student NutritioncoreOthersAramark provides student nutrition and meal services for the district, including the Free & Reduced Lunch Meal Program and summer grab-and-go meal services. Partnership includes food service management for school meal programs.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides the district's Student Information System (SIS) for managing student data, grades, and attendance. The district uses PowerSchool for parent/student portal access and has experienced a data breach notification from PowerSchool in 2024.
• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationClever provides single sign-on portal integration for students and staff, enabling unified access to digital educational resources and applications across the district.
• Frontline EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationFrontline Education provides absence management and professional growth tracking systems for district staff, accessible through single sign-on.
• IncidentIQcoreTechnology or IntegrationIncidentIQ provides technology helpdesk and asset management services for district technology support, used by both staff and community members.
• Westerly Education Endowment Fund (WEEF)minorOthersLocal educational foundation that supports funding for programs and initiatives beyond regular budget allocations.
• SchoolSpringminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment platform used by the district's Human Resources department for posting employment opportunities and managing job applications.
• Greater North End Community Development, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing venue for summer grab-and-go meal distribution program serving WPS students ages 18 and under.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Stonington Public Schools: Adjacent Connecticut coastal public K-12 district serving a similar small-town New England community across the state border. Comparable in demographics, NEASC-region context, and small-district operating profile.
• Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District: Rhode Island regional public K-12 district operating under the same state NEASC and RIDE regulatory regime. Comparable governance and funding model but serves a multi-town rather than single-town catchment.
• Chariho Regional School District: Regional Rhode Island public K-12 district serving a multi-town southern RI catchment. Comparable in coastal/southern RI demographics and shared-state funding environment, though it operates as a regional rather than single-town district.

Direct peers

• Narragansett School System: Adjacent coastal Rhode Island public K-12 district serving a similar small-town community with comparable enrollment scale and demographic profile. Directly comparable as a peer district in Washington County, RI.
• North Kingstown School District: Southern Rhode Island public K-12 district with multiple elementary, middle, and high schools. Comparable in scale, regulatory environment, and reliance on Rhode Island state aid.
• Warwick Public Schools: Mid-sized Rhode Island public K-12 district operating an elementary-middle-high school structure. Comparable in scale to Westerly with similar reliance on state funding and public-sector governance.
• Cranston Public Schools: Larger Rhode Island public K-12 district operating multiple schools under the same state regulatory framework. Comparable governance (elected school committee), funding model, and NEASC accreditation environment.
• South Kingstown School District: Neighboring Washington County, RI public K-12 district of comparable size serving a coastal/southern RI community. Operates multiple schools with similar student-services structure and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Providence Public School District: Largest Rhode Island public K-12 district. Operates under the same state regulatory and funding framework but at significantly greater scale, serving an urban rather than suburban catchment.

Others

• Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE): State-level regulatory and funding authority overseeing Westerly Public Schools and all other RI districts. Not a competitor but the governing counterpart for accountability, funding allocation, and accreditation standards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WesterlySuper
• Facebookfacebook.com/WesterlySchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westerly-school-district

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Westerly Public Schools