Duneland School Corporation

What Duneland School Corporation does

Duneland School Corporation is a public K-12 school corporation headquartered at 601 W Morgan Avenue in Chesterton, Indiana, serving over 5,800 students across an approximately 92-square-mile district that includes the towns of Chesterton, Porter, Burns Harbor, and Dune Acres along the Lake Michigan shore in Porter County. The corporation operates 11 schools: five elementary schools (grades K-4), two intermediate schools (grades 5-6), two middle schools (grades 7-8), and Chesterton High School (grades 9-12). Educational product surface spans traditional in-person schooling, the Northwest Indiana Online School (the only Duneland school accepting out-of-district students), the RISE Academy alternative education program, and an array of add-on programs including the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (1 of 21 in Indiana), Advanced Placement courses, High Ability gifted programming, Project Lead The Way STEM, world languages (French, German, Japanese, Spanish), exceptional learner / special education services, English Language Learners support, dyslexia services, Title I, and a developmental preschool.

The underlying technology stack is composed of standard SaaS administrative platforms rather than proprietary platforms: Skyward Family Access Portal for parent/student records and registration; Nutrislice for child nutrition menus; My Payments Plus for meal payments; Applitrack for employment applications; BoardDocs for school board governance; Incident IQ for safety incident management; the Sandy Hook Promise Say Something tip line; and Google Meet for virtual onboarding sessions. The District has invested in eLearning guidelines (delivered via Google Sites) for remote learning days and operates WDSO, an award-winning student radio station in its 40th year of operation.

Duneland is a government-state entity, not a for-profit company. It is governed by a five-member elected Board of School Trustees and operates under Indiana Department of Education oversight. Revenue is sourced from (1) Indiana state education funding based on student enrollment and attendance, (2) local property tax revenue across the 92-square-mile district, (3) federal grants including Title I, IDEA, McKinney-Vento, and ESSER funds, and (4) USDA-funded Child Nutrition Services meals. No tuition is charged for in-district students; textbook and instructional supply fees are not collected following state legislation, with costs covered by state reimbursement and local school funds. The corporation employs approximately 386 professional staff and 430 support staff, for a total headcount in the 501-1000 range.

Name

Duneland School Corporation

Legal name

Duneland School Corporation

Website

https://duneland.k12.in.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Duneland School Corporation is a public K-12 school district in Porter County, Indiana, serving over 5,800 students across 11 schools from elementary through high school. It is funded primarily by Indiana state education funds, local property taxes, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction (611699)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Time Virtual K–12 Schools (Statewide/Cyber Charters & District Programs) (EDAJADAA), Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC), Literacy & Numeracy Intervention (Reading/Math Support) (EDAJALAD), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• School district services
• Elementary secondary education
• Special education programs
• Alternative education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Primary funding from Indiana state education funds based on student enrollment and attendance.
2. Local Property Tax Revenue: Local property taxes from residents in the 92 square-mile district area covering Chesterton, Porter, Burns Harbor, and Dune Acres.
3. Federal Grants: Federal funding including Title I, IDEA (special education), McKinney-Vento, and ESSER COVID relief funds.
4. Child Nutrition Services: USDA-funded meal programs with free/reduced price applications available for qualifying families.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Duneland School Corporation provides public K-12 education to over 5,800 students across 11 schools in Northwest Indiana, including 5 elementary schools (K-4), 2 intermediate schools (5-6), 2 middle schools (7-8), and Chesterton High School (9-12). The district also operates the Northwest Indiana Online School (NWI Online) for full-time online K-12 learners and RISE Academy for alternative education. Core instructional offerings are supplemented by early childhood programs, special education, gifted/high ability programming, IB and AP courses, world languages, fine arts, athletics, transportation, child nutrition, and counseling services.

Product overview

Duneland School Corporation is a public K-12 school district serving over 5,800 students in Northwest Indiana near Lake Michigan. The district operates 11 schools: five elementary schools (K-4), two intermediate schools (grades 5-6), two middle schools (grades 7-8), and Chesterton High School (grades 9-12). The core educational offering is supplemented by the Northwest Indiana Online School (NWI Online) for full-time online learners and RISE Academy for alternative education. Special programs include the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and AP courses at Chesterton High School, the High Ability Program for gifted learners, High Ability Program, dyslexia support, English Language Learner services, special education (Exceptional Learning), Title I, and Project Lead The Way STEM curriculum. The district also provides early learning through the Duneland Early Learning HUB and Developmental Preschool, summer school, eLearning days, fine arts including the award-winning WDSO radio station, athletics, comprehensive counseling, health services with Northshore Health Centers partnership, and nutrition services. Communication tools include the weekly DuneNews newsletter and Skyward Family Access portal for parents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chesterton High School: High school serving grades 9-12 with International Baccalaureate program
• Bailly Elementary School
• Brummitt Elementary School
• Jackson Elementary School
• Liberty Elementary School
• Yost Elementary School
• Liberty Intermediate School
• Westchester Intermediate School
• Liberty Middle School
• Westchester Middle School
• NWI Online School
• RISE Academy
• Trojan Learning Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 50-60 graduates per year from RISE Academy alternative program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Promise IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Promise Indiana is a program offering hope and help for post-secondary education and training for grades K-1. Families can enroll to receive up to $100 in college savings accounts. Partnership helps connect Duneland families with early college savings opportunities.
• Northshore Health CentersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthshore Health Centers operates school-based health clinics providing healthcare services to students. Clinic flyer available at district schools supporting student health and wellness.
• Parents As TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood family education program supporting parents of young children with developmental information and resources.
• Duneland Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal education foundation supporting Duneland schools through fundraising, grants, and educational initiatives for students and teachers.
• Porter County Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty health department providing immunization services by appointment for students needing to update vaccinations before school entry.
• Indiana University, Purdue University, Ivy Tech, Valparaiso UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university campuses providing educational opportunities for Duneland students including dual credit courses and post-secondary pathways.
• Talking is Teaching PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Early Learning HUB supporting early childhood education initiatives and family engagement in literacy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zionsville Community Schools: High-performing, growing Indiana public K-12 district in the Indianapolis suburbs. Comparable in academic profile, ranking, and reliance on property-tax-funded public education.
• Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation: Top-rated northern Indiana public K-12 district near the Michigan border. Comparable as a high-performing Indiana public school corporation with strong AP/dual credit offerings and similar demographic profile.
• Carmel Clay Schools: One of the highest-performing and largest public K-12 districts in Indiana. Comparable as a top-tier Indiana public school corporation pursuing similar academic recognition, advanced coursework, and statewide rankings.

Regional players

• Indiana Online Academy (Indiana Department of Education): State-supported and other Indiana statewide virtual K-12 options. Direct comparable to NWI Online as online public K-12 programs serving Indiana students, including those outside any single district.
• East Noble School Corporation: Mid-sized Indiana public K-12 school corporation. Comparable as a regional Indiana public school district with similar governance structure, funding streams, and program portfolio.

Direct peers

• Portage Township Schools: Adjacent Porter County public K-12 district. Operates as a public school corporation in the same region with similar funding mix, demographics, and competitive set.
• Crown Point Community School Corporation: Large Northwest Indiana public K-12 district operating in Lake County. Direct peer as another Indiana public school corporation competing for the same regional talent pool, students, and state funding allocations.
• Valparaiso Community Schools: Neighboring Porter County public K-12 district of comparable size. Directly comparable as a like-for-like Indiana public school corporation serving overlapping communities in Northwest Indiana.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dunelandk12
• Facebookfacebook.com/dunelandschools
• Instagraminstagram.com/dunelandk12

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Duneland School Corporation