What Oyster River Coop School District does

Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) is a public K-12 school district established in 1954, serving just over 2,000 students across four schools in Durham, Lee, and Madbury, New Hampshire: Mast Way Elementary (K-4, Lee), Moharimet Elementary (K-4, Madbury), Oyster River Middle School (grades 5-8, Durham), and Oyster River High School (grades 9-12, Durham). The district also operates a Preschool Education Program (PEP) and supporting services including child nutrition, student transportation, and student services. Programs span core academics, Competency-Based Education (CBE), world languages (French, Mandarin), competitive robotics (VEX IQ), award-winning music and arts programs, athletics, student journalism, and dual-enrollment pathways with the University of New Hampshire.

The underlying technology stack consists of standard K-12 educational SaaS — PowerSchool for student information, Schoology for learning management, ClassLink for single sign-on, ParentSquare for family communication, Follett Destiny for library management, and Google Workspace for Education as the productivity layer — integrated with the New Hampshire Department of Education Dashboard for state accountability reporting. The district's safety architecture includes ALICE civilian active-shooter response training and Emergency Operations Plans co-developed with Durham, Lee, and Madbury police and fire departments.

As a government entity operating under New Hampshire RSA 40:13, ORCSD is funded through local property taxes and state education aid with no tuition charged to resident students. Governance rests with a seven-member elected school board and the legislative body of all registered voters across the three towns. The FY2026-2027 operating budget totals $62,365,067, with an average cost-per-pupil of $24,268 and reported proficiency rates of 75% ELA, 65% math, and 61% science. There is no private ownership, equity, or external capital structure; expansion is funded through voter-approved operating budgets and capital bonds.

Name

Oyster River Coop School District

Legal name

Oyster River Cooperative School District

Website

https://orcsd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Oyster River Cooperative School District is a public K-12 district established in 1954, serving just over 2,000 students across four schools in Durham, Lee, and Madbury, New Hampshire, funded by local property taxes and a $62.4M FY27 operating budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Transportation & Accessibility Services (EDAJAKAJ), Early Intervention OT (Birth–3) / Preschool OT (EDAKAFAJ)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Public school district
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Competency based education

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes and state education funding. District operates under official ballot voting system (RSA 40:13) where registered voters in Durham, Lee, and Madbury serve as the legislative body approving budget and expenditures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) is a public K-12 school district that provides comprehensive educational services to approximately 2,000 students from preschool through 12th grade across four schools in Durham, Lee, and Madbury, New Hampshire. The district delivers academic instruction, extracurricular programs (robotics, music, athletics, world languages), support services (child nutrition, transportation, special education), and community engagement initiatives, funded through local property taxes and state education funding under New Hampshire RSA 40:13.

Product overview

Oyster River Cooperative School District is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 2,000 students across four schools: Mast Way and Moharimet (elementary K-4), ORMS (middle school 5-8), and ORHS (high school 9-12). The district also operates a Preschool Education Program (PEP). Established in 1954, the district serves the contiguous communities of Durham, Lee, and Madbury in southeastern New Hampshire. The district offers comprehensive academic programs, competitive robotics, award-winning music and arts programs, athletics, student publications, world language education, and community engagement initiatives. Supporting services include child nutrition, student transportation, counseling, and special education services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oyster River Cooperative School District (District-wide K-12 Education) District-wide public education services providing academic instruction, extracurricular activities, athletics, music, arts, world languages, robotics, college/career preparation, and student support services to approximately 2,000 students across preschool through 12th grade at no tuition cost to resident families.
• Mast Way School (Grades K-4) Elementary school serving approximately 350 students in kindergarten through 4th grade, located at 23 Mast Rd, Lee, NH. Offers foundational academics, sustainability education, and project-based learning experiences.
• Moharimet School (Grades K-4) Elementary school serving approximately 350 students in kindergarten through 4th grade, located at 11 Lee Rd, Madbury, NH. Emphasizes environmental education, maple sugaring programs, and community engagement.
• Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) (Grades 5-8) Middle school serving approximately 600 students in grades 5-8, located at 1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH. Offers comprehensive academics, competitive VEX IQ robotics teams, world language programs (French, Mandarin), and extensive extracurricular activities including Humanities Night and Service Palooza.
• Oyster River High School (ORHS) (Grades 9-12) High school serving approximately 700 students in grades 9-12, located at 55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH. Offers college preparatory academics, award-winning arts programs (orchestra, band, chorus), competitive athletics, student publications, and dual enrollment opportunities with the University of New Hampshire.
• Preschool Education Program (PEP) Early childhood education program serving preschool-aged children with developmental screenings, special education services, and early learning opportunities, located at the Student Services department.
• Child Nutrition Services School meal program providing breakfast and lunch to students across all four schools, including summer nutrition assistance programs (End 68 Hours of Hunger, Community Action Partnership of Strafford County) and community dinner events featuring locally sourced, sustainable food.
• Student Transportation Bus and van transportation services for students to and from all four schools, with the district actively hiring drivers at $28/hour starting wage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three ORMS robotics teams qualified for 2026 VEX IQ Robotics World Championship
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of New HampshirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Partnership for Unified Basketball Program connecting ORHS students with UNH students. Additionally, UNH hosts ORHS piano students through the Piano Extension Program. The district's proximity to UNH provides easy access to cultural and educational opportunities. UNH Chemistry fraternity and Society of Women Engineers participate in ORMS Science Exploratorium events.
• Durham Police and Fire DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal emergency departments partner with ORCSD to develop and perform assessments of Emergency Operations Plans. They participate in school drills throughout the year to assist and ensure safety of all students and staff.
• Lee Police and Fire DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal emergency departments partner with ORCSD to develop and perform assessments of Emergency Operations Plans. They participate in school drills throughout the year to assist and ensure safety of all students and staff.
• Madbury Police and Fire DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal emergency departments partner with ORCSD to develop and perform assessments of Emergency Operations Plans. They participate in school drills throughout the year to assist and ensure safety of all students and staff.
• Oyster River Music Association (ORMA)minorOthersNonprofit organization that provides financial support for music programs. ORMA made a generous donation to help cover costs associated with rental of a truck to transport student instruments to Florida for Universal CityWalk performance.
• New Hampshire Turtle RescueminorOthersParticipated in ORMS Humanities Night event. Silent auction proceeds ($600+) raised to support their organization.
• Arts in ReachminorOthersCommunity organization that participated in ORMS Humanities Night, engaging students and families with arts programming.
• Durham and Madbury Public LibrariesminorOthersPublic libraries participated in ORMS Humanities Night and hosted the ORHS Scholastic Art Exhibition.
• Universal Studios OrlandominorOthersORHS music students (104 students from orchestra, band, and chorus) performed at Universal CityWalk on March 6, 2026. The venue hosted the school's concert as part of their public concert programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• SAU 5 (Oyster River's Administrative Unit): The administrative unit housing ORCSD itself; included as a structural/operational peer since it shares the same SAU-level administration and governance infrastructure as the district.

Regional players

• Bedford School District: Southern NH public school district serving a suburban community. Comparable as a property-tax-funded public K-12 district with similar demographic profile and operating scale.
• Windham School District: Southern NH public school district in a similar suburban context. Comparable as a public K-12 district in the broader southern New Hampshire regional market.
• Portsmouth School District: Seacoast NH public school district serving Portsmouth. Comparable geographic peer in the same regional market, though smaller and city-based rather than multi-town cooperative.
• Londonderry School District: Southern NH public school district with comparable enrollment scale and suburban demographic. Comparable public K-12 peer in the same regional market.
• Dover School District: Adjacent seacoast NH public school district serving Dover, also in Strafford County. Comparable as a public K-12 district in the same geographic labor market and demographic region.
• Salem School District: Southern NH public school district operating multiple schools. Comparable public K-12 district serving a similar suburban community profile.

Direct peers

• Exeter Region Cooperative School District: Another long-established New Hampshire cooperative school district serving multiple towns in the seacoast region. Directly comparable as a multi-town cooperative public K-12 district with similar governance and funding model.
• Timberlane Regional School District: Multi-town cooperative school district in southern New Hampshire. Directly comparable as a cooperative K-12 district sharing similar governance structure and funding mechanisms.

Broad incumbents

• Manchester School District: Largest NH public school district. Broader incumbent peer at significantly larger scale but operates the same public K-12 model with similar funding mechanisms and state accountability requirements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oyster-river-high-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Oyster River Coop School District