What Valley Collaborative Elementary School does

Valley Collaborative is a Massachusetts public educational collaborative established in 1976 and owned and operated by nine member school districts (Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Groton-Dunstable, Nashoba Valley Technical, North Middlesex, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford). It delivers specialized K-12 special education and adult services across five school-based programs — Valley Elementary School, Valley Middle School (Alternative and Transitional), Valley Transitional High School (Alternative and Transitional) — and the Valley DDS & MassAbility Services program for adults over 18 with special needs. The organization serves over 400 K-12 students and approximately 225 adults with a staff of 250, including teachers, education specialists, therapists (OT, PT, Speech, Social Work, BCBA), nurses, paraprofessionals, and adult support professionals. Programs are delivered across three locations in Massachusetts: the headquarters at 11 Executive Park Drive in North Billerica, The Bistro/Vocational Training site at 40 Linnell Circle in Billerica, and the Valley Elementary School/Kitchen campus at 135 Coburn Rd in Tyngsboro.

The organization's core service architecture rests on an integrated therapy model that delivers occupational, physical, speech, social work, and BCBA interventions within classroom and natural-routine environments rather than through traditional pull-out clinical sessions, supported by multidisciplinary co-treatment and an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) consult-evaluation team. Vocational and life-skills training is embedded into operational enterprises — The Bistro (a publicly open student-run cafe and catering kitchen) and The Kitchen (a school foodservice and culinary internship program) — that also generate modest transactional revenue. A 2026 revamp of the middle/high school culinary program under a dedicated instructor adds daily scratch-cooking lunch specials.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-student tuition and service fees billed to member and sending school districts (annual rate schedules published for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027), supplemented by state-agency contracts with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS), MassAbility, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) for adult services such as Community Based Day Supports, Group Supported Employment, and Independent Employment Supports. Secondary revenue streams include on-site Bistro cafe and catering sales and voluntary donations via a PayPal portal. The entity is governed by a Board of Directors composed of one representative (typically the superintendent) from each member district, with Dr. Jay Lang of Chelmsford Public Schools serving as Chairman; it is not publicly traded and has no private equity, venture capital, or institutional shareholders.

Name

Valley Collaborative Elementary School

Legal name

Valley Collaborative

Website

https://valleycollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Massachusetts public educational collaborative, founded 1976 and owned by nine member school districts, delivering K-12 special education and adult day/employment services to over 400 students and 225 adults across an integrated therapy model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Special education services
• K-12 special education
• Adult disability services
• Integrated therapy programs
• Vocational training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Billerica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Service Fees from Sending Districts: Recurring tuition rates and service fees charged to member and sending school districts for K-12 special education programs (Elementary, Middle, High School) and related therapeutic/behavioral services. Published annually for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years as formal rate schedules.
2. State Agency Contracts (DDS, MassAbility, SSA): Funding from the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS), MassAbility, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to provide Community Based Day Supports, Group Supported Employment, Independent Employment Supports, and other adult services for individuals over 18 with special needs.
3. The Bistro Food Service Revenue: Revenue from the on-site Bistro cafe sales to the public, catering commissions in the community, and a la carte menu sales to elementary school staff; functions both as a revenue source and a vocational training platform for students.
4. Donations and Giving: Voluntary contributions to the organization via PayPal donation portal as part of a 'Give To Valley' fundraising initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Valley Collaborative is a Massachusetts public educational collaborative that delivers K-12 special education day programming (Elementary, Middle, and Transitional High School in both Alternative and Transitional tracks) and adult services (DDS & MassAbility Today and Tomorrow program) for individuals with special needs across nine member school districts. Services are delivered through an integrated therapy model combining occupational, speech, physical, social work, BCBA, and AAC services with nursing and vocational training via on-site enterprises (The Bistro and The Kitchen). Revenue comes from per-student tuition and service fees paid by sending districts, state agency contracts, vocational foodservice sales, and donations.

Product overview

Valley Collaborative operates as a multi-program educational services platform rather than a single product: it delivers integrated special-education K-12 academic, therapeutic, vocational and adult services across five school-based programs and one adult-services program, all unified by an integrated therapy model and a multidisciplinary team approach. The core programs include Valley Elementary School, Valley Middle School (Alternative and Transitional Programming), Valley Transitional High School (Alternative and Transitional Programming), and Valley DDS & MassAbility Services for adults; these are supported by the Therapy department's service lines (Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication), the Nursing department, the Food Services department (The Bistro and The Kitchen vocational training operations), and a Business Office / Human Resources function that serves the whole organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bistro @ 40 Linnell Circle: Student-staffed fully operational café and culinary training restaurant located at 40 Linnell Circle, Billerica, MA.
• The Kitchen @ Valley Collaborative Elementary School

Products and services

• Valley Elementary School Special-education elementary program operated by Valley Collaborative at its Tyngsboro, MA campus, serving referred K-12 students and providing integrated therapy, nursing, and food services supports.
• Valley Middle School - Alternative Programming Middle school alternative program offering a non-traditional pathway for referred students with emphasis on vocational and life skills, including a new scratch-cooking culinary program producing daily lunch specials.
• Valley Middle School - Transitional Programming Transitional middle school program focused on preparing students to transition up to high school through integrated academic, therapeutic, and vocational supports.
• Valley Transitional High School - Alternative Programming Alternative high school program supporting students pursuing graduation and post-secondary transitions through vocational, academic, and therapeutic services.
• Valley Transitional High School - Transitional Programming Transitional high school program with emphasis on literacy, life skills, and post-secondary readiness, including documented mid-year reading gains for referred students.
• Valley DDS and MassAbility Services (Today and Tomorrow Program) Adult services program operating the Today and Tomorrow program for individuals over 18 with special needs, delivering Community Based Day Supports, Group Supported Employment (5:1 staff ratio), and Independent Employment Supports via referrals from SSA, DDS, and MassAbility.
• Therapeutic Services (Integrated Therapy Model) Department providing Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, Social Work, BCBA, and AAC services through an integrated therapy model with team collaboration, in-classroom interventions, consultation, program monitoring, and staff training.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Service Specialized AAC evaluations and services including communication device trials, AAC consultation, team meeting attendance, and device or program trainings delivered by Valley's AAC Assessment team using a consult-evaluation model.
• Nursing Services Multidisciplinary nursing services providing health promotion, mandated screenings, medication management, behavioral response planning, and case management across Elementary, Middle, High School, and Adult programs.
• The Bistro at 40 Linnell Circle (Vocational Training Restaurant) Student-run, fully operational eat-in or takeout cafe and catering kitchen at 40 Linnell Circle, Billerica, MA, where culinary staff supervise students in preparation, service, sale, cleanup, and cross-training across multiple stations to provide vocational experience in culinary arts and customer service.
• The Kitchen at Valley Collaborative Elementary School No-cost breakfast and lunch foodservice program for all Valley Elementary School students, also offering a culinary internship for vocational high school students and an a la carte menu for staff.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Billerica Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts that own and govern Valley Collaborative. Board representation by Dr. Kerry Clery. Located at 365 Boston Road, Billerica. District refers students for special education programs and supports the collaborative through tuition payments and governance.
• Chelmsford Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Dr. Jay Lang, who serves as Chairman of the Board. Located at 230 North Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824.
• Dracut Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Mr. Steven Stone. Located at 2063 Lakeview Avenue, Dracut, MA 01826.
• Groton-Dunstable Regional School DistrictflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Dr. Geoff Bruno. Located at 344 Main Street, Groton, MA 01450.
• Nashoba Valley Technical High SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Dr. Denise Pigeon (Executive Committee Member). Located at 100 Littleton Road, Westford, MA 01886.
• North Middlesex Regional School DistrictflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Mr. Brad Morgan. Located at 45 Main Street, Pepperell, MA 01463.
• Tewksbury Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Ms. Brenda Theriault-Regan. Located at 139 Pleasant Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Also the district that hosts a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) covering school safety.
• Tyngsborough Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Dr. Michael Flanagan (Executive Committee Member). Located at 50 Norris Road, Tyngsborough, MA 01879. Host district for the Valley Elementary School campus at 135 Coburn Road.
• Westford Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of nine member districts. Board representation by Dr. Christopher Chew. Located at 23 Depot Street, Westford.
• Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState agency partnership that funds and refers adults for Valley's DDS & MassAbility Services program, including Community Based Day Supports, Group Supported Employment, and Independent Employment Supports.
• MassAbilitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassachusetts state agency that co-funds and refers individuals for Valley's adult services programs; services are delivered jointly with DDS.
• Social Security Administration (SSA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFederal agency that refers individuals to Valley Collaborative's programming so they can reach educational and occupational goals.
• Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC)coreOthersState entity providing health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability benefits to Valley Collaborative eligible employees through the GIC benefits program, including the 2026-2027 GIC Benefits Guide, MyGICLink Benefits Portal, and Mass4YOU Employee Assistance Program.
• Billerica Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal law enforcement agency with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 2024-2025) with Valley Collaborative covering school safety, joint training sessions, emergency preparedness exercises, and the deployment of School Resource Officers on campus during school hours.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LABBB Collaborative: Massachusetts educational collaborative serving Lexington, Arlington, Burlington, Bedford, and Belmont with K-12 special education and adult services under an identical member-district governance model. Directly comparable in mission, funding structure, and program mix.
• SEEM Collaborative: Stoneham, MA-based collaborative serving special education students from member districts; comparable program portfolio spanning elementary, middle, high school, and adult transition services.
• North Shore Education Collaborative: Massachusetts collaborative serving North Shore districts with special education programs and adult services; operates under the same Articles of Agreement governance framework and state funding streams (DDS, MassAbility).
• CASE Collaborative: Concord, Acton, Sudbury-area collaborative delivering K-12 special education and related therapeutic services to member districts; comparable governance and tuition-based revenue model.
• The Education Cooperative (TEC): Greater Boston-area collaborative providing special education, professional development, and itinerant services to member districts; structurally identical governance and tuition model.
• ACCEPT Collaborative: Massachusetts collaborative operating alternative and transitional special education programs with vocational and therapeutic components analogous to Valley's Bistro/Kitchen model.

Regional players

• MinuteMan Arc for Human Services: Massachusetts provider of day habilitation, employment supports, and community-based services for adults with disabilities; comparable state-funded adult-services delivery model.
• Riverside Community Care: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing adult day programs, employment supports, and behavioral health services funded through DDS/MassAbility; overlaps with Valley's Today and Tomorrow adult services portfolio.
• Advocates Inc. Massachusetts nonprofit delivering community-based day supports, employment services, and residential supports for adults with developmental disabilities; comparable adult-services revenue model under DDS contracts.

Broad incumbents

• May Institute: National nonprofit operating special education schools, ABA services, and adult day programs across multiple states; a much larger incumbent with overlapping clinical service lines (BCBA, integrated therapy, AAC).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/valleycollaborative

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Valley Collaborative Elementary School