Darien Public School District 61

What Darien Public School District 61 does

Darien Public School District 61 is a public K-8 school district founded in 1925, headquartered at 7414 S. Cass Avenue, Darien, Illinois. The district operates three grade-level center schools — Mark DeLay Elementary (Preschool through 2nd grade), Lace Elementary (3rd through 5th grade), and Eisenhower Junior High (6th through 8th grade) — serving approximately 1,300 students across Darien and portions of Downers Grove, Willowbrook, and Westmont. Programming includes preschool (Early Childhood Special Education, Preschool For All blended program), K-8 general education, full-day kindergarten, gifted services, a comprehensive special education continuum in compliance with IDEA-2004, food service under the National School Lunch Program, before/after school care, E-Learning for emergency closures, and a 1:1 Chromebook initiative for grades 3-8.

Name

Darien Public School District 61

Legal name

Darien Public School District 61

Website

https://darien61.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Darien Public School District 61 is an Illinois public K-8 school district serving approximately 1,300 students across three grade-level center schools in Darien, Downers Grove, Willowbrook, and Westmont.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ), Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK)

Keywords

• Public K-8 education
• Elementary school services
• Junior high school
• Special education programs
• Preschool early childhood

Headquarters

HQ city

Darien

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Local Property Taxes: Primary revenue source for the public school district, providing fiscal responsibility to the community.
2. Federal ESSER Funding: CARES Act and ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding to help mitigate COVID-19 pandemic impact. District received $157,735 (CARES/ESSER 1), $628,025 (ESSER 2), and $1,454,434 (ESSER 3).
3. Student Meal Program: Self-operating Satellite food service program. Meals meet National School Breakfast and Lunch program requirements. Breakfast $2.85, Lunch $4.00. Free and reduced meal applications available.
4. Preschool Tuition: Limited tuition-based slots available at $325 per month for preschool program. Tuition slots are for students that do not meet at-risk criteria and do not have an IEP.
5. Champions Before/After School Care: Partnership with Champions program starting 2026-2027 school year. Weekly fees: Part Time Before School $35, Full Time $52; Part Time After School $60, Full Time $100. Break care available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Darien Public School District 61 is a public K-8 school district that delivers preschool through 8th grade education to approximately 1,300 students across three grade-level center schools in Darien, Illinois. The district provides core academic instruction, special education services, food service, before/after school child care, and a 1:1 Chromebook technology program, funded primarily through local property taxes and state/federal sources.

Product overview

Darien Public School District 61 operates three grade-level center schools serving approximately 1,300 students in Preschool through 8th grade: Mark DeLay Elementary (PreK-2), Lace Elementary (3-5), and Eisenhower Junior High (6-8). The district provides educational programs including preschool, special education, and e-learning, along with support services such as food service, before/after school child care (Champions program), and a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. The district utilizes technology platforms including Skyward for student information management and ParentSquare for communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mark DeLay Elementary School Elementary school serving students in Preschool through 2nd grade, located at 6801 Wilmette Avenue, Darien, IL. Includes preschool programs and serves as a primary grade-level center.
• Lace Elementary School Elementary school serving students in 3rd through 5th grade, located at 7414 Cass Avenue, Darien, IL. Hosts the district's library online catalog and library services.
• Eisenhower Junior High School Junior high school serving students in 6th through 8th grade, located at 1410 75th Street, Darien, IL. Houses the central kitchen for the district's food service program.
• Preschool Programs Preschool programs for children ages 3-5, including Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Preschool Program, Early Childhood Blended Program, and Preschool For All (PFA) program. Tuition-based and grant-funded slots available.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education services in accordance with IDEA-2004, including IEP services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, and access to LADSE and SASED cooperatives for low-incidence disabilities.
• E-Learning Program Asynchronous remote learning program allowing the district to continue instruction during emergency school closures.
• Food Service Program Self-operating satellite food service program meeting National School Breakfast and Lunch program requirements. Breakfast $2.85, Lunch $4.00, Ala Carte Milk $0.60. Free and reduced meal applications available.
• Champions Before and After School Care Program Before and after school child care program operated by Champions, offering care at Mark DeLay and Lace schools starting 2026-2027 school year. Weekly fees: Part Time Before School $35, Full Time $52; Part Time After School $60, Full Time $100.
• D61 Chromebook Program 1:1 technology initiative where students in grades 3-8 receive Chromebooks for educational use as part of the District's technology-integrated learning program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 1,300 students across three grade-level center schools

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ChampionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Starting 2026-2027 school year, Champions program will provide before and after school care at Mark DeLay and Lace schools. Champions accepts Illinois state childcare assistance program and offers reduced tuition based on eligibility. Champions prioritizes hiring current Kids Club employees.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Beginning with 2024-2025 school year, district adopted ParentSquare as main form of school-to-home communication. Platform provides district communications, alerts, newsletters, and two-way communication in preferred language.
• LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarien 61 is a member of the LADSE special education cooperative. Member districts combine resources to provide appropriate services for students who meet eligibility and reside within the cooperative. The partnership provides special education preschool programs for children ages 3-5 with special needs.
• School Association for Special Education (SASED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarien 61 may utilize the SASED cooperative to provide services for children with low incidence disabilities.
• Child and Family ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict partners with Child and Family Connections to provide Early Intervention services for children between birth and age three with developmental concerns.
• AdoptAClassroom.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBurlington Stores donated $5,000 through partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org national non-profit organization in celebration of new store opening in Darien, IL.
• National School Lunch ProgramcoreOthersDistrict participates in National School Lunch Program meeting nutritional requirements for all meals and Smart Snack requirements for ala carte items. Program includes free and reduced meal applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pleasantdale School District 107: K-8 public school district serving Burr Ridge and parts of Darien — overlapping attendance boundaries with Darien 61. Comparable in enrollment size, K-8 structure, and suburban DuPage County operating context.
• Hinsdale CCSD 181: K-8 public school district serving Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and parts of Oak Brook — same DuPage County region. Comparable in suburban demographic profile, property-tax funding model, and K-8 grade span.
• Indian Springs School District 109: K-8 public school district serving portions of Justice and Bridgeview in southwest suburban Cook County. Comparable small K-8 district with similar property-tax funding and full-service program structure.
• Center Cass School District 66: K-8 public school district in Downers Grove, IL, near Darien 61's attendance boundaries. Comparable small K-8 district with similar enrollment scale and DuPage County funding dynamics.
• Woodridge School District 68: K-8 public school district based in Woodridge, IL, directly adjoining Darien 61's service area. Comparable in size, student demographics, and programming scope including preschool and special education.
• Cass School District 63: K-8 public school district serving parts of Darien and Downers Grove — directly overlapping with Darien 61's service area. Closest geographic peer with highly comparable student demographics and program offerings.
• Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A: K-8 public school district in southwest suburban DuPage County. Comparable small-to-mid-size K-8 district with similar property-tax funding structure and full continuum of special education services.
• Maercker School District 60: K-8 public school district serving parts of Westmont, Clarendon Hills, and Downers Grove — directly overlapping portions of Darien 61's service area. Comparable in size, demographics, and K-8 program scope.
• Gower School District 62: Adjacent K-8 district serving parts of Willowbrook and Burr Ridge — areas also partially within Darien 61's boundaries. Closest geographic and demographic peer, with similar enrollment size and grade-level center configuration.
• Downers Grove Grade School District 58: Neighboring K-8 public school district in Downers Grove, IL, serving a similar suburban DuPage County population. Directly comparable in grade span, governance structure, and student demographics to Darien 61.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/D61Wellness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mark-delay-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Darien Public School District 61