Rivendell Academy

What Rivendell Academy does

Rivendell Academy is the secondary school (grades 7-12) of the Rivendell Interstate School District, a public PreK-12 school district serving approximately 550+ students across four rural towns in two states. Established by voters on October 13, 1998 and opened on August 28, 2000, the district operates under a bi-state administrative compact between Vermont and New Hampshire, making it one of only three interstate public school districts in the United States. The four member towns are Fairlee, Vershire, and West Fairlee in Vermont and Orford in New Hampshire, all anchored along the Connecticut River Valley.

The district operates a full PreK-12 educational portfolio that includes two preschools (Samuel Morey and Westshire) under the Rivendell Early Childhood Program (RECP), two K-6 elementary schools (Samuel Morey Elementary and Westshire Elementary), the Rivendell Academy secondary school, a Community Classroom for therapeutic learning, competitive athletics programs for grades 7-12, after-school care (After the Bell), summer camp programs, Title I intervention services, and a district-wide free meal program. The technology stack is standard K-12 ed-tech: PowerSchool as the student information system with a parent portal, Google Workspace for Education, one-to-one device programs (Chromebooks for K-6, personally assigned laptops for 7-12), Zoho ManageEngine for IT and maintenance helpdesk management, FamilyID for athletics registration, EZ Child Track for after-school/summer registration, LinqConnect for food service accounts, and Frontline Education for HR and absence management. All preschool classrooms hold the highest 5-star STARS accreditation from Vermont.

As a government entity rather than a commercial enterprise, Rivendell is funded through voter-approved property taxes from the four member towns, per-pupil state education funding from both Vermont and New Hampshire, and federal grants including Title I and $1,088,284 in ARP ESSER funding. The FY25 voter-approved operating budget was $15,832,063 (approved March 2025), with an FY27 draft budget currently in deliberation. Fee-based services include After the Bell ($12/day), summer programs ($200/week), extended-day preschool ($20-$35/day), and substitute teacher pay ($125/day). Randy Gawel began as Superintendent on July 1, 2025, succeeding the prior superintendent, and the elected school board is chaired by Charles Newton. The district is not an investable entity; it has no private equity, venture capital, or corporate ownership structure.

Name

Rivendell Academy

Legal name

Rivendell Interstate School District

Website

https://rivendellschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rivendell Academy is the 7-12 secondary school within the Rivendell Interstate School District, one of only three interstate public school districts in the U.S., serving approximately 550 students across four rural towns in Vermont and New Hampshire under a bi-state compact.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Interstate school district
• Early childhood education
• Special education services
• After school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Orford, New Hampshire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Funded primarily through property taxes from four member towns: Fairlee, Vershire, and West Fairlee in Vermont, and Orford in New Hampshire. Tax rates are determined through annual district meetings and voter approval.
2. State Education Funding: Receives per-pupil state education funding from both Vermont and New Hampshire as an interstate school district.
3. Federal Grants: Multiple federal funding streams including Title I ($1,088,284 through ARP ESSER), McKinney-Vento homeless education, and other federal program grants.
4. Voter-Approved Budget: Annual operating budget approved by voters at district meetings (e.g., FY25 operating budget of $15,832,063 approved March 2025).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rivendell Academy is a PreK-12 public school operating as the secondary academy of the Rivendell Interstate School District, one of only three interstate school districts in the United States, spanning four towns across Vermont and New Hampshire. The district delivers comprehensive publicly funded K-12 education at no cost to in-district students, supplemented by fee-based preschool, after-school, and summer programs, plus special education, Title I intervention, athletics, food service, and Community Classroom therapeutic learning services.

Product overview

Rivendell Academy is part of the Rivendell Interstate School District, one of the first PreK-12 interstate school districts in the country, serving students across four towns in New Hampshire and Vermont. The district operates the main Academy website as its primary digital product, integrated with PowerSchool for student information management. The school offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational services including core academics through the Student Information System, competitive athletics programs (grades 7-12), special education services, Title I intervention programs, early childhood education (RECP) with free preschool, after school and summer programs, and food services. The district also maintains the Community Classroom for therapeutic learning environments. This portfolio of products and services is designed to serve the educational, developmental, and wellness needs of students from preschool through 12th grade across the interstate district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rivendell Early Childhood Program (RECP): High quality, play-based preschool program for children ages 3-5, with locations at Samuel Morey and Westshire Elementary Schools.
• After the Bell

Quantifiable outcome

• One of only three interstate school districts in the United States
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont Agency of EducationcoreOthersRivendell operates under Vermont state education regulations and receives guidance, funding, and oversight from the Vermont Agency of Education as part of the interstate school district arrangement.
• New Hampshire Department of EducationcoreOthersAs an interstate district serving NH students from Orford, Rivendell operates under NH oversight while coordinating with the NH Department of Education.
• Upper Valley Special Needs Support CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral resource for families of students with special needs, providing guidance and support services.
• Google (Google Suite for Education)coreTechnology or IntegrationDistrict uses Google Suite for Education as its primary productivity and collaboration platform for students and staff.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationDistrict uses PowerSchool as its Student Information System (SIS), providing the parent portal for grades, attendance, and scheduling information.
• USDAcoreOthersNational school lunch and breakfast program participant, providing funding that enables free meals for all students district-wide.
• Vermont Department of HealthminorOthersCoordinates immunization reporting, health services guidance, and school health program requirements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dresden Interstate School District: The other well-known PreK-12 interstate school district spanning New Hampshire and Vermont (Hanover, NH and Norwich, VT). Operates under a near-identical interstate compact and serves a similar rural/small-town demographic, making it the closest structural and operational analog to Rivendell.

Regional players

• Orange East Supervisory Union: Vermont supervisory union serving Bradford, Newbury, and Oxbow — directly adjacent to Rivendell's Vermont towns. Shares the same Vermont state funding framework and rural community profile, and is where Rivendell's incoming superintendent previously led the district.
• The Sharon Academy: An independent junior/senior high school in Sharon, Vermont, also in the Upper Valley. Publicly funded tuition program serves towns across the region and competes with Rivendell Academy for grades 7-12 tuition students from the same geographic pool.
• Lebanon School District: NH public school district serving Lebanon, the largest community in the Upper Valley. Comparable PreK-12 public education model with broader program offerings; serves as a competing option for families considering tuition enrollment at Rivendell Academy.
• Hartford School District: Vermont public school district serving Hartford (including Wilder, White River Junction, and Quechee). Nearby PreK-12 district in the same Connecticut River Valley corridor with a similar rural-suburban demographic and federal/state funding mix.
• Thetford Academy: An independent secondary school (grades 7-12) in Thetford, Vermont, within driving distance of Rivendell's catchment. Operates a tuition-funded public academy model in the same Upper Valley region and competes for tuition-paying families from neighboring towns.
• Mascoma Valley Regional School District: New Hampshire regional school district serving Canaan, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange. Comparable rural PreK-12 structure, similar tax-funded model, and overlapping competitive geography for New Hampshire-resident families considering Rivendell.
• Crossroads Academy: Independent K-12 college-preparatory school in Lyme, New Hampshire — adjacent to Orford. Directly competes with Rivendell Academy for tuition-paying families on both sides of the Connecticut River and offers a contrasting private-school model.

Emerging players

• Lake Champlain Waldorf School: Independent PreK-12 school in Shelburne, Vermont offering a Waldorf pedagogy with inclusive programming for special needs. Comparable to Rivendell's RECP inclusive preschool and serves as an alternative for families seeking a non-traditional public education option in Vermont.
• Strafford Learning Center: New Hampshire-based special education collaborative serving multiple districts with therapeutic and specialized programming. Comparable to Rivendell's Community Classroom and special education services, and a potential referral/partner for students requiring more intensive supports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/rivendell-academy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 Rivendell Academy