Classical Academy

What Classical Academy does

Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton is a public charter school founded in September 1998 by Vincent and Magda DeRosa, serving middle school students in Clifton, New Jersey. The school delivers a classical, academically rigorous curriculum supplemented by STEM programs, a Gifted and Talented track, and comprehensive Special Education services including a Child Study Team, I&RS pre-referral support, and related therapies. It holds the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence designation, awarded in 2008, and is the first charter school in Passaic County.

The school's underlying technology stack is commodity and operationally oriented rather than proprietary: it runs on the Finalsite website platform, uses Clever for student single sign-on, embeds Google Calendar for event publishing, and offers Friday Parent and Student Portals for family and learner access. There are no disclosed proprietary platforms, APIs, AI systems, or developer-facing products.

Classical Academy operates as a tuition-free public charter school under New Jersey charter law. Revenue is generated entirely through per-pupil state funding allocated by the State of New Jersey and federal Title I (ESSA) and ESSER ARP grants. Enrollment is managed through an annual lottery open from October to January, with eligibility restricted to students residing within the Clifton district catchment. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees led by Adrienne Austin (President) and Eyad Asmar (Vice President), with operational leadership under Lead Person Dr. Gregory Farley, Business Administrator Bernadette P., and Curriculum Supervisor Ms. Colleen Cubbage.

Name

Classical Academy

Legal name

Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton

Website

https://classicalacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton is a public charter middle school founded in 1998 in Clifton, New Jersey, delivering a classical curriculum with STEM, Gifted and Talented, and Special Education programs to a tuition-free student body funded by NJ per-pupil allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Education (Public Charter School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-8 education
• Special education services
• STEM education
• Classical curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Clifton

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public charter school in New Jersey, Classical Academy receives per-pupil funding from the State of New Jersey based on enrollment. Additional federal funding includes Title I (ESSA) and ESSER ARP grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Classical Academy is a public, tuition-free charter school providing a classically infused K-8 academic curriculum to students in Clifton, New Jersey. Its core offering is the multi-year academic program anchored by Special Education services (including Child Study Team and I&RS), a Gifted and Talented program, and a STEM program (with Summer STEM), supplemented by National Junior Honor Society and Student Government. The school is publicly funded through New Jersey per-pupil allocations, Title I (ESSA), and ESSER ARP grants.

Product overview

Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton is a National Blue Ribbon public charter school serving middle school students in Clifton, New Jersey. Founded in 1998, the school offers a classically infused and highly academic curriculum as its core educational product, supplemented by specialized programs including Special Education Services (with Child Study Team support and I&RS pre-referral services), Gifted and Talented enrichment, and STEM/ Summer STEM programs. The school also supports student development through the National Junior Honor Society and Student Government. As a public charter school, the institution operates within New Jersey's Title I framework and provides special education support services in compliance with IDEIA regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classical Academy K-8 Academic Program
• Special Education Services
• Child Study Team Services Multi-disciplinary team providing evaluation, eligibility determination, and IEP development for students with educational disabilities, including School Social Worker, Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant, and Case Management.
• Intervention and Referral Service (I&RS) Pre-referral process team that addresses academic, social, or emotional concerns and develops classroom-specific strategies before special education referral.
• Gifted and Talented Program
• STEM Program
• National Junior Honor Society
• Student Government

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• American Classical Academy: Classical, liberal-arts focused public charter school offering a tuition-free K–8 alternative with a similar pedagogy to Classical Academy of Clifton.
• Great Hearts Academies: Multi-state network of classical, liberal-arts charter schools offering a tuition-free public classical curriculum comparable to Classical Academy's classical-and-STEM focus. Operates in AZ, TX, and other states with comparable K–12 grade spans.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based public charter school network with rigorous academic culture and lottery-based admissions. Comparable as a high-performing, tuition-free public charter serving similar demographics under per-pupil public funding.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of STEM-focused public charter and independent schools with rigorous college-preparatory academics. Comparable tuition-free public charter STEM emphasis and lottery admissions in select regions.
• Hillsdale Charter Schools: Network of classical charter schools affiliated with Hillsdale College's K–12 classical curriculum, directly comparable to Classical Academy's classical pedagogy and tuition-free public charter model.
• Ivywood Classical Academy: Tuition-free public charter school implementing a classical liberal-arts curriculum with comparable pedagogical model and lottery-based admissions structure.
• Classical Charter Schools of Raleigh: Tuition-free public charter school offering a classical education from K–12. Operates under similar public charter mechanics, lottery admissions, and Title I funding frameworks as Classical Academy of Clifton.

Regional players

• North Star Academy (Uncommon Schools): Newark-based public charter school network serving K–12 in northern New Jersey. A comparable public charter competitor operating in the same regional market with similar Title I and per-pupil funding dynamics.
• KIPP New Jersey: Statewide network of public charter schools operating in Newark, Camden, and other NJ cities. Comparable public charter operating model with similar government funding mechanics and lottery-style admissions in the same NJ regulatory environment.
• TEAM Academy Charter School: Newark-based public charter school within the larger TEAM Schools network serving K–12 in northern NJ. Operates in the same regional market under the same NJ charter funding and authorizer framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/classical-academy-charter-school-of-clifton

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Classical Academy