Independent Elementary School

What Independent Elementary School does

Independent Elementary School (INDY) is a public Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade elementary school operating within the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in Castro Valley, California. The school serves approximately 700 students during the 2025-26 school year, drawn from families speaking more than 30 languages — a deliberate signal of a culturally and linguistically diverse community. As a government-funded institution, the school charges no tuition; revenue flows in through CVUSD's district budget from California per-pupil funding, local parcel taxes, and voter-approved bond measures. The campus is led by Principal Patrick Hansen-Schmitt (in role since 2017), reporting through district leadership under Superintendent Dr. Nia Rashidchi.

The school's core academic program is augmented by a layered set of specialized services: a school library managed through Follett Destiny, a free meal program, Special Education (MTSS / Resource Specialist Instruction), Second Step social-emotional learning, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), Physical Education, and a science specialist. Extended learning is delivered on campus through partnerships with PlayCV and Adventure Time, providing before/after-school academic support, language classes, arts, recreation, and enrichment. Operations run on district-provided infrastructure — Aeries for student information and registration, ParentSquare for school-to-family communications, and Google Workspace for internal collaboration.

Enrollment is managed through district-wide registration (annual re-registration via the Aeries Parent Portal and an in-person Walk-Through Registration Day event). Family engagement is structurally codified through PTO, School Site Council, English Learner Advisory Committee, African American Advisory Committee, Padres Unidos, Equity Task Force, and a broad volunteer program. Web accessibility is maintained to WCAG 2.0/2.1 A, AA under Section 504 and Title II of the Rehabilitation Act. The entity is legally a government subdivision of CVUSD with no equity, funding rounds, M&A activity, or commercial revenue streams.

Name

Independent Elementary School

Legal name

Independent Elementary School

Website

https://independent.cv.k12.ca.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent Elementary School (INDY) is a TK-5 public elementary school within Castro Valley Unified School District in California, serving approximately 700 students from 30+ language backgrounds. It is government-funded, charges no tuition, and offers core academics plus special education, SEL, VAPA, and after-school programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Elementary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Public elementary education
• TK-5 curriculum
• Social-emotional learning
• Special education services
• After-school enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Castro Valley

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a public elementary school within CVUSD, Independent Elementary School is funded through government/district sources including state per-pupil funding, local parcel taxes, and voter-approved bond measures. No tuition or fees are charged for enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Independent Elementary School provides free, public Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade education to approximately 700 students in Castro Valley, California. Its core offering combines standards-based academic instruction with social-emotional learning, Special Education/IEP supports, library services, a free meal program, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Education, and Science specialist instruction, augmented by on-campus after-school programs through PlayCV and Adventure Time.

Product overview

Independent Elementary School offers a comprehensive TK-5th grade elementary education program as part of the Castro Valley Unified School District. The school's core offerings include rigorous academic instruction aligned with standards, supported by specialized programs in Library Services, Special Education (MTSS/RSP), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL via Second Step), Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), Physical Education, and Science. Extended learning is provided through partnerships with PlayCV and Adventure Time for before/after-school programs. The school uses ParentSquare for family communications and Aeries for student information management. The school serves approximately 700 students speaking more than 30 languages, with programs designed to support diverse learners including Special Education, intervention, and English Learner services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Students transition to middle school as emotionally literate, intellectually curious, academically capable, and socially conscious problem-solvers.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PlayCVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayCV is a community partner providing a range of after-school opportunities including academic support, language classes, arts, recreation, and enrichment programs. These programs extend learning beyond the school day, build community connections, and support the whole child.
• Adventure Time (After-School Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure Time provides on-campus after-school programming that complements the regular school day with enrichment activities. It is one of two main after-school partners referenced by the school as part of its extended learning ecosystem.
• Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD)coreOthersCVUSD is the parent school district governing Independent Elementary School. The district provides centralized enrollment systems (Aeries), communications infrastructure (ParentSquare), curriculum frameworks, HR and payroll services, special education coordination, food services, transportation, and facilities support. The school operates under CVUSD's strategic directions, board policies, and administrative regulations.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationParentSquare is the primary school-to-family communication platform used by Independent Elementary School and CVUSD. It delivers announcements, event notifications, and two-way messaging to parents and guardians. The platform is available via web and mobile app.
• Aeries (Student Information System)coreTechnology or IntegrationAeries is the district-adopted student information system used for enrollment registration, contact management, attendance tracking, grade management, and parent/guardian data confirmation. Families use the Aeries Parent Portal for annual re-registration each school year.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Castro Valley Elementary School: Sibling TK–5 public elementary school within the same CVUSD district, sharing funding model, governance, attendance-area enrollment, SIS (Aeries), and ParentSquare communications infrastructure. Direct peer for family choice within the district.
• Palomares Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school with shared district governance and funding; directly comparable on grade bands, SEL/MTSS program structure, and after-school enrichment.
• Chabot Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school operating under identical district funding, curriculum frameworks, and SIS. Competes with Independent for the same attendance-area family pool within Castro Valley.
• Jensen Ranch Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school sharing district governance, SIS, and per-pupil funding. Directly comparable in scale and program offering for family selection within the district.
• Stanton Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school sharing district funding, governance, and SIS. Comparable in grade band, public funding model, and family-engagement surface area.
• Vannoy Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school operating under the same district funding mechanisms and using the same ParentSquare/Aeries tech stack. Direct peer for enrollment and program comparison.
• Marshall Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school serving the same district-wide per-pupil funding model and using the same Aeries/ParentSquare stack. Directly comparable on demographics, staffing scale, and program offerings.
• Proctor Elementary School: CVUSD TK–5 public elementary school under the same district umbrella; directly comparable on enrollment scale, public-funding model, and family-engagement infrastructure.

Regional players

• Alma Preschool: CVUSD-affiliated preschool program serving the same district family pool. Comparable as an early-childhood feeder institution and as a district peer for family-facing communications and enrollment flow.
• Canyon Middle School: CVUSD public middle school that is the primary feeder destination for Independent Elementary graduates; comparable as a district peer for outcomes tracking, though serving grades 6–8 rather than TK–5.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independent-elementary-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Independent Elementary School