Westport Public Schools

What Westport Public Schools does

Westport Public Schools is a public K-12 school district headquartered at 110 Myrtle Avenue in Westport, Connecticut, serving approximately 8,000 students across nine schools: one high school (Staples High School), two middle schools (Bedford and Coleytown), five elementary schools (Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway, Long Lots, and Saugatuck), and one preschool (Stepping Stones). The district employs approximately 973 to 1,000 staff and operates as a government state entity under an elected seven-member Board of Education, with Thomas Scarice serving as Superintendent since July 2020. The district's "product surface" is a continuum of academic and support services including special education, gifted programs, ESL, health and transportation services, RULER social-emotional learning, the No Place for Hate anti-bias initiative, the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC) cultural program, and the UConn Early College Career Program enabling high schoolers to earn college credit.

The underlying technology stack is entirely third-party SaaS: PowerSchool for student information, Schoology for learning management, ParentSquare for family communication, Google Workspace for collaboration, Finalsite for web infrastructure, and AESOP for substitute teacher scheduling. The district does not operate its own developer API, has no disclosed proprietary models, and relies on these vendor platforms for all digital operations. There is no proprietary intellectual property in the form of patents or trademarks; the closest intangible asset is the nearly 2,000-piece Westport Public Art Collections (founded 1965), a cultural and educational asset managed jointly with the Westport Arts Advisory Committee.

The business model is government-funded: revenue consists of local property taxes, Connecticut state education funding, and federal grants, with no commercial pricing or tuition charged to resident families per Connecticut state law. The district's go-to-market is community-led — families enroll by residency through PowerSchool registration, and outreach is conducted via the district website, Facebook, email newsletters, Cablevision Channel 78 broadcasts of Board of Education meetings, and PTA/community events. The only "customer segments" are K-12 students and families (primary) and Westport taxpayers (secondary, as funding providers), with no commercial customer base, no logos to diversify across, and no expansion outside the Westport municipal boundary.

Name

Westport Public Schools

Legal name

Westport Public Schools

Website

https://westportps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1836

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Westport Public Schools is a Connecticut public K-12 school district serving approximately 8,000 students across nine schools (one high school, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and one preschool), funded by local property taxes, state aid, and federal grants, and governed by an elected Board of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Special education services
• Social emotional learning
• School district operations
• Arts integrated curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Westport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Westport Public Schools operates as a public school district funded primarily through local property taxes, state education funding, and federal grants. The district's finances are managed by Chief Financial Officer Elio Longo with oversight from the Board of Education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Westport Public Schools operates a public K-12 school district in Westport, Connecticut, providing free public education to resident students through nine schools: one high school, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and one preschool. The district delivers comprehensive academic instruction, special education and gifted services, social-emotional learning through the RULER framework, arts integration via the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC), the No Place for Hate anti-bias initiative, and an AI literacy curriculum, supplemented by transportation, food, and health services.

Product overview

Westport Public Schools is a public school district serving approximately 8,000 students across 9 schools: one high school (Staples High School), two middle schools (Bedford and Coleytown), five elementary schools (Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway, Long Lots, and Saugatuck), and one preschool (Stepping Stones). The district operates as a unified educational platform providing core academic instruction enhanced by specialized programs including WestPAC art collections, RULER social-emotional learning, No Place for Hate anti-bias programming, AI literacy curriculum, special education services, and continuing education. The district leverages third-party educational technology platforms including PowerSchool for student information management, Schoology for learning management, and ParentSquare for family communication, all integrated through the Finalsite website infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WestPAC (Westport Public Art Collections): A cultural asset with nearly 2,000 works of art including paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, sculptures and murals by notable American artists displayed throughout Westport's municipal buildings and public schools. Founded in 1965.

Products and services

• Staples High School Four-year public high school serving grades 9-12, offering comprehensive academic programs, athletics, arts, and extracurricular activities for Westport students.
• Bedford Middle School Public middle school serving grades 7-8, providing academic instruction, student activities, and social-emotional learning programs.
• Coleytown Middle School Public middle school serving grades 7-8, offering academic programs, arts, and community engagement initiatives including No Place for Hate.
• Coleytown Elementary School Elementary school serving grades K-5, providing foundational academic instruction and social-emotional development programs.
• Greens Farms Elementary School Elementary school serving grades K-5, featuring the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC) learning galleries and arts

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UConn Early College Career ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Connecticut allowing high school students to earn college credits through the Early College Career Program in world languages and other subjects
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict participates in ADL's No Place for Hate initiative, which provides an organizing framework for combating bias, bullying, and hatred in schools. The program includes coordinator training, curriculum materials, and a structured approach to building inclusive school communities.
• Westport Arts Advisory Committee (WAAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for managing and displaying the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC). WAAC works with the WestPAC Committee to review artwork donations and manage the collections displayed in municipal buildings and schools.
• Friends of WestPAC (501(c)(3) nonprofit)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization that raises funds for preservation, conservation, and display of Westport Public Art Collections. The organization supports the district's art education mission through fundraising and community engagement.
• Drew Friedman Community Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding for Learning Galleries in each school, supporting the integration of original artwork into the educational environment for students.
• Westport Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Westport Police Department for the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program, placing a police officer in schools to enhance safety and security.
• Connecticut Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency overseeing Connecticut public schools. The district operates under state education guidelines, participates in state assessments, and follows Connecticut Board of Education policies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Norwalk Public Schools: Connecticut K-12 district where current Westport CFO Elio Longo served as COO; same state regulatory regime and similar program structure (RULER, gifted services, etc.).
• Madison Public Schools: Connecticut K-12 district previously led by Westport's current Superintendent (Thomas Scarice, 2012-2020); used as a direct comparison for Strategic Plan execution and program continuity.
• Brookfield Public Schools: Connecticut K-12 district where current Westport Assistant Superintendent Anna Mahon previously served; comparable scale and same state funding/regulatory environment.
• Fairfield Public Schools: Neighboring Connecticut public K-12 district of comparable size and demographics; multiple Westport administrators (John Bayers, Michael Rizzo) began their careers in Fairfield, signaling direct operational comparability.
• Weston Public Schools: Adjacent Connecticut K-12 district where current Westport Superintendent Thomas Scarice previously served as Assistant Superintendent; same funding model and similar affluent-suburban demographic profile.
• Darien Public Schools: Comparable Connecticut K-12 district with similar per-pupil spending levels and a high-performing suburban profile; directly competes for faculty talent and serves a similar family demographic.
• New Canaan Public Schools: Nearby Connecticut K-12 district with overlapping student demographics and similar reliance on property tax funding; routinely ranked alongside Westport in regional performance comparisons.
• Greenwich Public Schools: Connecticut K-12 district operating on similar scale with comparable funding mix; provides a useful benchmark for operating budget, staffing levels, and program offerings.
• Stamford Public Schools: Larger Connecticut K-12 district; Westport CFO Elio Longo previously served as COO of Stamford-area Norwalk Public Schools, indicating direct operational familiarity with this peer set.
• Wilton Public Schools: Connecticut K-12 district with similar affluent-suburban demographics and a comparable 9-school structure; routinely benchmarked against Westport in regional academic comparisons.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/westportpublicschools

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Westport Public Schools