Vassal Lane Upper School

What Vassal Lane Upper School does

Darby Vassall Upper School (also known as Vassal Lane Upper School or VLUS) is a public middle school serving students in grades 6 through 8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is operated by the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) district and is part of the CPS Upper School Network, sharing a common schedule with other district upper schools for out-of-school-time activities. The school enrolls approximately 260 students, fed primarily from Haggerty, Graham & Parks, and Tobin Montessori elementary schools, and serves students ages 11-14 during the transition from elementary to high school. Its core offerings include developmentally responsive academic programming, social-emotional learning, civic engagement (e.g., the CPS Civics Showcase at the Massachusetts State House), and a recurring summer reading program.

The school's technology stack is consumer-grade and district-administered, consisting of i-Ready Personalized Instruction for adaptive learning, Aspen for the student information system (grades, attendance, parent communication), and Google Classroom for instruction. Core differentiation is curriculum-driven rather than technology-driven, including interdisciplinary units with Facing History and Ourselves (Choices in Little Rock curriculum), a collaborative science curriculum with the Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysics Center, fencing instruction via Olympia Fencing Center, and community-service partnerships with Cradles to Crayons. The school shares a new permanent building complex with Tobin Montessori that opened in 2025 after four years of construction, including the dedicated Dr. Carolyn Turk Auditorium.

As a government state entity, the school does not generate commercial revenue. There is no tuition, and Cambridge Public Schools is funded through public education budgets; universal free school meals became permanent in Massachusetts in August 2023. Distribution is centralized through CPS central registration, and the customer base is geographically constrained to Cambridge residents in the assigned catchment. The school is led by Principal Daniel Coplon-Newfield (Head of Upper School), with Jaime Frost listed as Principal in relation to the new building transition, supported by Assistant Principal Tanya Bacci-Benzan and a Family Liaison. There is no venture or private equity ownership; the school operates as part of the public education system.

Name

Vassal Lane Upper School

Legal name

Darby Vassall Upper School

Website

https://vassallane.cpsd.us

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Darby Vassall Upper School (VLUS) is a public middle school serving approximately 260 students in grades 6-8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, operated by Cambridge Public Schools. It delivers academic, social-emotional, and civic-engagement programming using i-Ready, Aspen, and Google Classroom, and shares a new permanent building with Tobin Montessori opened in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Public middle school education
• Grades 6-8 instruction
• Civic engagement programs
• Social-emotional learning
• Personalized instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vassal Lane Upper School (also known as Darby Vassall Upper School or VLUS) is a public middle school serving approximately 260 students in grades 6-8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It delivers developmentally responsive, inclusive classroom education combined with social-emotional learning, civic engagement programs, extracurricular activities, and specialist curricula (Spanish, music, health), supported by digital tools such as i-Ready and Aspen.

Product overview

Darby Vassall Upper School (also known as Vassal Lane Upper School or VLUS) is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's primary digital presence is its website, which serves as an information portal for the school community. The school is part of the Cambridge Public Schools district and shares a new building complex with Tobin Montessori School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Darby Vassall Upper School (VLUS) Middle School Education Public middle school education for students in grades 6-8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, delivered by the Cambridge Public Schools district. Program includes core academic instruction, social-emotional learning, civic engagement, specialist curricula, and enrichment activities.
• Darby Vassall Upper School Learning Commons (Library) School library serving VLUS students and staff, providing access to physical and digital reading materials, supporting the summer reading program, and offering book donation and volunteer programs.
• Out-of-School Time Activities and Programs Before- and after-school extracurricular activities for VLUS students, scheduled in coordination with all CPS Upper Schools, including partner-delivered enrichment such as Olympia Fencing Center classes.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Olympia Fencing CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Olympia Fencing Center to provide students with fencing instruction. Instructor Essene Waters leads weekly classes focusing on physical and mental self-discipline, creative thinking, and teamwork.
• Cradles to CrayonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVLUS partnered with Cradles to Crayons for community service and donations. Students collected thousands of books and clothing items for children in need.
• Facing History and OurselvescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS 8th grade history teachers trained by Facing History and Ourselves to teach the Choices in Little Rock curriculum. VLUS teachers collaborated on interdisciplinary units.
• Porter Square Books FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation donated signed copies of books by visiting author Nidhi Chanani to every CPS elementary and upper school library.
• Cambridge Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVLUS students visited the library for author visits and presentations.
• Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysics CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative curriculum with Harvard Smithsonian Astrophysics Center for science classes examining the reasons for the seasons.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Haggerty School: CPS elementary feeder school for Vassal Lane; comparable as a district-operated school feeding the same middle-school population.
• Amigos School PK-8: CPS PK-8 school with dual-language programming; comparable as a Cambridge Public Schools institution serving middle-grade students within the same district.
• Graham and Parks School: CPS elementary feeder to Vassal Lane Upper School; directly comparable as a Cambridge Public Schools institution with overlapping families and shared communication channels.
• Rindge Avenue Upper Campus: Third CPS upper school (grades 6-8) sharing the same district operating model, feeder patterns, and Upper School Network scheduling.
• Baldwin School: Another CPS elementary feeder into the Cambridge middle-school pipeline; comparable as a district-operated school with shared governance, communication, and community structures.
• King Open School: CPS PK-8 school offering middle-grade instruction in Cambridge; comparable in district governance, funding, and community-engagement approach.
• Cambridge Street Upper School: Sibling CPS middle school serving grades 6-8 in Cambridge under the same Upper School Network with shared scheduling; the closest direct functional and operational peer.
• Putnam Avenue Upper School: Another CPS upper school serving grades 6-8 in Cambridge, sharing district curriculum, schedule, and Out-of-School Time programming with Vassal Lane.
• Tobin Montessori School: Co-located CPS school sharing the new 2025 building complex and feeding students into Vassal Lane; highly comparable given shared facility and overlapping families.

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge Rindge and Latin School: CPS comprehensive high school that is the primary receiving school for Vassal Lane graduates; broader incumbent within the same district with overlapping student outcomes and curriculum continuity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cambridge_cpsd
• Facebookfacebook.com/darbyvassall
• Instagraminstagram.com/cambridgepublicschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vassal-lane-upper-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Vassal Lane Upper School