Closter School District

What Closter School District does

Closter School District is a public K-8 school district serving approximately 1,200 students across the Borough of Closter in Bergen County, New Jersey. The district operates two schools: Hillside Elementary School (pre-kindergarten through grade 4) and Tenakill Middle School (grades 5-8), governed by an elected nine-member Board of Education serving three-year terms under the New Jersey Department of Education. Educational services are delivered without tuition to resident families and funded through a mix of local property taxes, NJ state aid under the SFRA formula, and federal grants including Title I and IDEA. The district supplements core academic instruction with a 1:1 Chromebook Initiative for middle school students, gifted and talented programs (Hillside Enrichment Program and Tenakill Enrichment Program), Title I mathematics intervention, comprehensive special education services via Child Study Team for ages 3-14, counseling and guidance, athletics, and a broad extracurricular portfolio anchored by a 2025 NJ State Champion Science Olympiad team. Communication and operations are supported by a standard education technology stack including the Realtime Parent Portal, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Follett Shelf library platform, Ebsco research databases, and Applitrack for staff recruitment, with WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility compliance.

The district's go-to-market is community-led enrollment: families register children through the district's residential registration process, with outreach and engagement supported by an active Parent Teacher Organization, Korean Parent Group, and SEPAG (Special Education Parent Advisory Group). The district is a participant in the Northern Valley Consortium, an eight-district collaborative (Closter, Demarest, Haworth, Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Northern Valley High School) that jointly authors K-8 curriculum on a five-year rotating basis as mandated by NJ DOE. Compliance infrastructure includes triennial lead water testing (39/39 outlets passed EPA action levels in July 2024) and AHERA asbestos management plans. Leadership is headed by Superintendent Vincent McHale, with Business Administrator Floro M. Villanueva, Jr. receiving the BCASBO 2026 Distinguished Service Award. The district traces its educational tradition to early Dutch settlers in the 1700s, now operating continuously for over 340 years.

Name

Closter School District

Legal name

Closter School District

Website

https://closterschools.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1700

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Closter School District is a public K-8 district in Bergen County, NJ serving approximately 1,200 resident students across Hillside Elementary School (PK-4) and Tenakill Middle School (5-8), funded by property taxes and state aid and offering special education, gifted programs, athletics, and a 1:1 Chromebook initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

• K-8 public education
• Special education services
• Gifted and talented programs
• Student support services
• Elementary middle school

Headquarters

HQ city

Closter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Public school district funded primarily through local property taxes, state aid from New Jersey Department of Education, and federal grants including Title I and IDEA funding for special education services.
2. Student Meals (External): District does not participate in school lunch program; lunch options provided through PTO Lunch Program. Milk program available for purchase.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Closter School District is a public K-8 school district that operates Hillside Elementary School (Pre-K through Grade 4) and Tenakill Middle School (Grades 5-8) to deliver general education, special education, gifted and talented enrichment, Title I mathematics intervention, counseling, athletics, and a 1:1 Chromebook program to approximately 1,200 resident students in the Borough of Closter, NJ. The district is funded through local property taxes, New Jersey state aid, and federal grants, and is governed by an elected nine-member Board of Education.

Product overview

Closter Public Schools operates as a two-school district serving approximately 1,200 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8 in Bergen County, New Jersey. The district consists of Hillside Elementary School (PK-4) and Tenakill Middle School (5-8), supported by a comprehensive suite of educational programs and services. Core academic instruction is enhanced by 1:1 technology initiative providing Chromebooks to middle school students, Special Services including special education and Child Study Team support, Gifted and Talented programs (HEP/TEP), Title I mathematics intervention, and counseling services. The district offers extensive extracurricular programming through athletics, clubs, and activities including Science Olympiad. Communication with families is facilitated through the Realtime Parent Portal, while library services integrate with county-wide resources. The district operates as a unified educational platform with these programs working together to support student achievement across academic, social, and emotional domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hillside Elementary School: Elementary school serving Pre-K through Grade 4 students, with a mission to promote a love of school and lifelong learning, self-discipline, cooperative work skills, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Tenakill Middle School
• Hillside Enrichment Program (HEP)
• Tenakill Enrichment Program (TEP)

Products and services

• Hillside Elementary School Elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through grade 4 students, promoting a love of school and lifelong learning with focus on self-discipline, cooperative work, and decision-making skills for families in Closter, NJ.
• Tenakill Middle School Middle school serving grades 5-8, developing intellectually curious lifelong learners with strong character and 21st century skills; home of the Cougar Pride and 2025 NJ Science Olympiad State Championship team.
• Special Services (Special Education) Comprehensive special education program including Child Study Team services, IEP development, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and preschool special needs inclusion for students ages 3-14 in Closter, NJ.
• Hillside Enrichment Program (HEP) Gifted and talented enrichment program for elementary students in grades K-4, providing differentiated whole-class enrichment, curriculum compacting, and acceleration with small group instruction beginning in grade 3; eligibility determined by the Northern Valley Identification Matrix.
• Tenakill Enrichment Program (TEP) Gifted and talented program for middle school students in grades 5-8, offering advanced coursework and enrichment opportunities with reassessment using NJSLA scores; eligibility via the Northern Valley Identification Matrix.
• Title I Mathematics Intervention Program Targeted assisted Title I program providing intensive small group mathematics instruction for struggling students, using progress monitoring and research-based interventions aligned with district curriculum.
• Counseling and Guidance Services School counseling program offering individual and group counseling, classroom lessons, parent support, and school-wide programming addressing academic support, social-emotional learning, and college/career planning.
• Athletics Program Year-round interscholastic sports program including fall (volleyball, cross country, soccer), winter (basketball), and spring (track, baseball, softball) athletics for middle school students.
• Clubs and Activities Extracurricular programs including Science Olympiad, Drama Club, Debate Team, Chorus, Band, Orchestra, Student Council, Yearbook Club, and various academic and service clubs.
• 1:1 Technology Initiative Personal device program providing Chromebooks to all middle school students in grades 5-8, enabling technology integration across the curriculum and developing digital citizenship skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Science Olympiad Team - 2025 NJ State Champions, qualified for 2026 National Tournament at USC
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Northern Valley ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight school districts forming a curriculum consortium for collaborative curriculum development. The consortium writes curriculum on a five-year rotating basis as mandated by NJ Department of Education. Member districts: Closter, Demarest, Haworth, Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, and Northern Valley High School.
• Project Child FindcoreOthersFree referral service and public awareness campaign to assist in identification of unserved/underserved youth with delays or disabilities from birth through 21 years of age. Part of statewide system of early intervention services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ridgewood Public Schools: Larger K-12 public school district in Ridgewood, Bergen County, NJ. Operates elementary, middle, and high schools in a similarly affluent Bergen County community, offering a broader program portfolio than Closter.
• Tenafly Public Schools: Larger K-12 public school district in Tenafly, Bergen County, NJ. Broader portfolio than Closter (includes high school) and operates on a larger scale, but serves a similarly affluent Bergen County community.

Others

• Northern Valley Regional High School District: Regional high school district that receives Closter's graduates after grade 8. Operates jointly with the Northern Valley Consortium K-8 districts, including shared board governance and curriculum continuity.

Direct peers

• Harrington Park School District: K-8 public school district in Harrington Park, Bergen County, NJ, and a Northern Valley Consortium member. Shares the same consortium curriculum and feeds into Northern Valley Regional High School District alongside Closter.
• Alpine School District: Small K-8 public school district in Alpine, Bergen County, NJ. Closely comparable to Closter in scale, structure (two-school K-8), and demographic profile of an affluent Bergen County borough.
• Demarest Public Schools: K-8 public school district in Demarest, Bergen County, NJ, and a member of the Northern Valley Consortium alongside Closter. Operates the same consortium-shared curriculum and serves a comparable suburban community of similar scale.
• Haworth Public School: Small K-8 public school district in Haworth, Bergen County, NJ, and a Northern Valley Consortium member. Directly comparable to Closter in scale, structure, and curriculum source.
• Norwood Public School: K-8 public school district in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ, and a Northern Valley Consortium member. Operates the same shared curriculum and feeds into Northern Valley Regional High School District.
• Northvale Public School: K-8 public school district in Northvale, Bergen County, NJ, and a Northern Valley Consortium member. Directly comparable in size, structure, and curriculum.
• Old Tappan School District: K-8 public school district in Old Tappan, Bergen County, NJ, and a Northern Valley Consortium member. Closely comparable in scale, demographic profile, and curriculum pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/closter-school-district

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Closter School District