SAU29

What SAU29 does

SAU29 (New Hampshire School Administrative Unit 29) is the largest multi-district School Administrative Unit in New Hampshire, organized under state education law (RSA 194) as a cooperative government entity that delivers shared administrative services to seven independent K-12 school districts in southwestern New Hampshire: Chesterfield, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, and Westmoreland. The unit coordinates activities across 13-14 school buildings, the Cheshire Career Center for career and technical education, and the Keene Community Education program, collectively supervising the educational program for approximately 3,743-4,200 students and employing more than 960 staff members across 211 square miles. Governance is exercised through elected school boards in each member district, with an elected SAU29 Board Chair (currently Ege Cordell) overseeing shared policy, while Robert Malay serves as Superintendent of Schools and Brian Campbell as Assistant Superintendent. Each district retains autonomy over local operations, but consolidates administrative, financial, HR, payroll, technology, curriculum, and student-services functions through the SAU29 Central Office headquartered at 193 Maple Avenue, Keene, NH 03431.

SAU29's core service portfolio comprises K-12 instructional delivery, a curriculum and assessment program built on the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework and a Competency-Based Learning Model being rolled out across K-12 (K-8 introduced in 2023-2024), student services (special education, English Language Learner services, school counseling, McKinney-Vento homeless assistance, health services), food services, and technology services. The underlying technology stack is conventional public-sector EdTech: PowerSchool for the Student Information System and parent portal, Tyler Technology ExecuTime for time-and-attendance and payroll, Applitrack for recruitment, PayPAMS for school meal payments, Exact Path for computer-based diagnostic testing and individualized learning plans, AimsWeb+ and Dibbles for curriculum-based measurement and benchmarking, Google Workspace for staff operations, Finalsite for the public website, and IncidentIQ for IT support. Supporting products include a 403(b)/457(b) retirement plan administered with Fidelity Investments, medical/dental benefits via HealthTrust, Anthem BC/BS of NH, and Northeast Delta Dental, and prescription benefits via Caremark — reflecting a fully built-out benefits and HR infrastructure for the unit's workforce.

SAU29's "business model" is that of a public school administrative unit rather than a commercial enterprise. Funding flows from three primary streams: local property taxes from the seven member districts, state education funding (including New Hampshire Retirement System contributions), and federal grants including Title I, Title IX, and ESSER funds. The organization manages a collective operating budget of approximately $90.7 million for fiscal operations, with no tuition charged to students (qualifying families access free and reduced meal programs). The go-to-market is structurally captive: residents within district boundaries are the de facto customer base, school boards drive purchasing and policy decisions, and annual March elections determine board composition. Pricing for services to the public (e.g., school meals, substitute teacher compensation) is published but not the primary revenue mechanism, and the unit does not sell externally into adjacent markets.

Name

SAU29

Legal name

New Hampshire School Administrative Unit 29

Website

https://sau29.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SAU29 is a New Hampshire government school administrative unit providing shared K-12 administrative and educational services to seven independent school districts serving approximately 4,200 students across 211 square miles in southwestern New Hampshire through a $90.7 million collective budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADABAC

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

SECONDARYEDADABAJ

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/School Districts, Local Education Authorities & Boards

SECONDARYEDAJAKAH

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

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

SECONDARYEDAJAHAH

Staffing, HR, Credentialing & Substitute Management

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 School Operations & Administration (Scheduling, SIS, Compliance)

SECONDARYBPAIABAJ

State/Provincial Education Department Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School administrative services
• Competency-based curriculum
• Special education services
• Career and technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: SAU29 is funded through a combination of local property taxes from member districts, state education funding, and federal grants. The organization manages a collective budget of approximately $90.7 million across all seven school districts.
2. Title I Funding: Federal Title I funding for supporting schools with high percentages of children from low-income families.
3. Title IX Funding: Federal Title IX funding supporting educational programs and activities.
4. ESSER Federal Funding: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for COVID-19 recovery and educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SAU29 is a New Hampshire public school administrative unit that coordinates shared educational and administrative services for seven independent school districts—Chesterfield, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, and Westmoreland—serving approximately 4,200 students across 13 campuses. Its core offerings include K-12 classroom instruction using a competency-based learning model built on the Understanding by Design framework, special education and English language learner services, school counseling, food services, career and technical education at the Cheshire Career Center, and centralized district functions such as curriculum, assessment, human resources, payroll, and technology services.

Product overview

SAU29 (School Administrative Unit 29) is a New Hampshire educational services organization providing comprehensive K-12 public education across seven independent school districts. The organization operates a multi-product educational services portfolio including core K-12 instruction, curriculum and assessment programs utilizing competency-based learning models, student support services (special education, counseling, health services), food services, and technology services including IT helpdesk and student data privacy management. Supporting infrastructure includes PowerSchool for student information management, Tyler Technology for time and attendance, Applitrack for recruitment, and various benefits administration platforms. SAU29 manages approximately $90.7 million in collective budget, operates 14 school buildings, and serves approximately 4,200 students with over 960 employees across 211 square miles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Educational Services Comprehensive K-12 public education across seven school districts (Chesterfield, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Westmoreland) covering grades PK-12 with classroom instruction, school counseling, food services, and student support. Serving approximately 3,743 to 4,200 students across 13 campuses in southwestern New Hampshire.
• Competency-Based Education (CBE) Program K-12 competency-based learning program built on the Understanding by Design framework, with explicit competencies and performance indicators driving instruction and assessment for students in each grade level/course.
• Cheshire Career Center - Career & Technical Education Career & Technical Education programs providing SAU29 high school students with experiential learning, post-secondary credits, and industry-recognized certifications.
• Special Education Services Special education services for K-12 students across SAU29, with separate directorship at Keene High School and preschool services provided externally.
• Food Services Breakfast and lunch meal programs operated across all SAU29 schools with menu information, pricing, and free and reduced meal applications for qualifying families.
• English Language Learner Services English Language Learner support services for K-12 students across SAU29 districts.
• School Counseling Services School counseling and behavioral health support programs for SAU29 students, including 504 support and connection to NH children's behavioral health resources.
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Services Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act support services for identified K-12 students in SAU29 districts.
• Keene Community Education Community education programs offered through the Keene Community Education organization to residents of the SAU29 region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average class size of 17.2 students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HealthTrustcoreTechnology or IntegrationHealthTrust provides medical and dental insurance administration for SAU29 employees. HealthTrust has contracted with Anthem BC/BS of NH for medical plans and Northeast Delta Dental for dental plans.
• Anthem BC/BS of New HampshirecoreTechnology or IntegrationAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire provides medical insurance coverage for SAU29 employees through HealthTrust. Plans include Access Blue HMO, AB20, AB15 IPED, and BlueChoice options.
• Northeast Delta DentalcoreTechnology or IntegrationNortheast Delta Dental provides dental insurance through HealthTrust. Various dental plan options including Option 3A, Option 4B, and Option 8 are offered to different employee groups.
• CaremarkcoreTechnology or IntegrationCaremark provides prescription benefits program for SAU29 employees with prescription copays at retail and mail order pharmacies.
• Maddison National Life Insurance CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationMaddison National Life Insurance Company provides term life insurance with AD&D coverage for eligible SAU29 employees, administered by HealthTrust.
• Tyler TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationTyler Technology provides Time & Attendance (ExecuTime) system for SAU29 employee time tracking and payroll management.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Champlain Valley School District: Vermont unified union school district serving multiple towns with shared administrative services — a multi-town regional peer in the broader New England geography with comparable scope of services.

Direct peers

• Capital Region BOCES: New York State Boards of Cooperative Educational Services organization providing shared administrative, special-education, and CTE services to multiple component school districts — the closest structural analog to SAU29 outside of New Hampshire.
• Erie 1 BOCES: Large NY BOCES providing shared educational services, CTE, and special education to component districts in western New York — a comparable regional education services cooperative at similar scale.
• ConVal Regional School District: New Hampshire regional school district (SAU structure) serving multiple towns in southern NH — directly comparable NH-based multi-district entity with similar governance, funding mix, and student-services portfolio.
• Winnacunnet Cooperative School District: NH cooperative school district serving multiple member towns with a shared high school — a NH-based peer demonstrating the cooperative governance model SAU29 also operates within.
• Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES: NY BOCES providing shared instructional, special-education, and administrative services to multiple component districts — structurally analogous to SAU29's role across its seven member districts.
• Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES: Multi-county NY BOCES serving multiple component districts with shared services including special education, CTE, and instructional support — comparable in scale and multi-district coordination model to SAU29.

Broad incumbents

• Manchester School District (SAU 37): One of New Hampshire's largest SAUs serving a single urban district — provides a scale and funding-mix comparison point, though lacking the multi-district coordination layer that defines SAU29.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SAU29

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries7 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 SAU29