Staples High School
Staples High School is a public, tuition-free high school in Westport, Connecticut, serving approximately 1,850 students in grades 9-12 through AP courses, dual enrollment with three Connecticut universities, online electives, and college counseling, funded by local property taxes.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersWestport, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Staples High School does
Staples High School is a public high school serving approximately 1,850 students in grades 9-12 in Westport, Connecticut, operated by the Westport Public Schools district and funded primarily through local property taxes and state education aid. Founded in 1935 and led by Principal Stafford Thomas Jr., the school offers a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum including an extensive Advanced Placement program, dual enrollment partnerships with the University of Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State University, and Connecticut State Community College, Independent Learning Experiences for self-directed study, and online electives delivered through the contracted Edmentum PLATO platform. The institution has been consistently ranked among the top public high schools in Connecticut by US News (#2), Niche, and USA Today, and holds W!se Platinum School recognition (2020-2022) for financial literacy and NEASC decennial accreditation (2015).
Operationally, Staples runs on a standard K-12 technology stack — PowerSchool for the Student Information System, Schoology as the Learning Management System, ClassLink for single sign-on, Edmentum PLATO for online electives, Google Workspace for Education, and Finalsite for the school's public website — and integrates ancillary platforms including Follett Destiny (library catalog), mySchoolBucks (cafeteria payments), and the Purdue Online Writing Lab. The school produces several student-run media properties, including WWPT 90.3 FM radio, the Staples Television Network, and the Gold Circle Award-winning Inklings student newspaper. Enrollment is geographically captive to Westport residents, with no tuition charged to district families; non-tuition revenue streams include a U.S. Department of Education PEP grant of $936,771.70 awarded in 2013 and ancillary community partnerships with Wakeman Town Farm, Synchrony, and international exchange programs including Hwa Chong Institution (Singapore) and the Normandy International Youth Leadership Summit. The administrative structure includes four grade-level Assistant Principals, a dedicated School Counseling Department, 252 listed staff members, and departmental chairs across English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Health & Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences.
Staples High School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Staples High School
- Legal name
- Staples High School
- Website
- https://shs.westportps.org
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Staples High School is a public, tuition-free high school in Westport, Connecticut, serving approximately 1,850 students in grades 9-12 through AP courses, dual enrollment with three Connecticut universities, online electives, and college counseling, funded by local property taxes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Staples High School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Secondary Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)
Keywords
Where Staples High School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Staples High School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Public School Funding: Funded through local property taxes and state/federal education funding as a public high school in the Westport Public Schools district. No tuition charged to district residents.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | No tuition for district residents |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Staples High School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Staples High School delivers public secondary education to students in grades 9-12 in Westport, Connecticut, including a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum with Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment with regional universities, Independent Learning Experiences, and online electives. Services are funded through local property taxes and state/federal education funding with no tuition charged to district residents, and are supported by a School Counseling department, athletics, arts, and media programs including WWPT 90.3 FM radio and Staples Television Network.
Product overview
Staples High School offers a comprehensive educational platform consisting of its main website powered by Finalsite, alongside multiple academic programs including AP courses through College Board, Independent Learning Experiences for self-directed study, Dual Enrollment programs with regional colleges (Connecticut State Community College, SCSU, UConn), and PLATO online learning electives through Edmentum. The school also operates media properties including Staples Television Network and WWPT 90.3 FM radio station. Students access these resources through integrated systems including PowerSchool (SIS), Schoology (LMS), and ClassLink (SSO).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
- Dual Enrollment Programs Partnership programs allowing students to earn college credit while in high school through the Connecticut State Community College High School Partnership, SCSU Early College Program, and UConn Early College Experience. Targeted at high-achieving students in grades 11-12 seeking college credit opportunities.
- Independent Learning Experiences (ILE) Self-directed learning pathway for grades 9-12 enabling students to pursue passion projects, independent study, or coursework not otherwise offered at Staples. Students work with a faculty mentor and present final projects to a review panel.
- PLATO Online Learning Electives Online courses delivered through Edmentum's PLATO platform for grades 10-12, covering arts, career/vocational, English, health/PE, music, science, and social studies subjects. Costs are covered by the school system for approved courses.
- School Counseling Department Services College admissions counseling, post-high school planning, course selection support, academic scheduling, financial aid guidance, and standardized testing preparation. Targeted at all Staples students and families.
- WWPT 90.3 FM Radio Station School radio station broadcasting on FM frequency 90.3, also available via streaming platforms including Mixlr and online. Operated through the Media Lab program and available to the school community and general listeners.
- Staples Television Network School television station streaming video content, integrated with WWPT 90.3 FM radio station as part of the Media Lab program. Provides students with broadcasting and media production experience.
Quantifiable outcome
- US News Ranking: #2 Best High School in CT
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Staples High School
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Staples High School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature5 records
Staples High School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wakeman Town FarmcoreCommunity partnership as part of the Westport Wellness Initiative PEP Grant. Wakeman Town Farm provides nutrition education training for teachers and student opportunities for outdoor activity and wellness education.
- UConn Early College ExperiencecoreDual enrollment partnership allowing students to earn college credit through UConn while still in high school. Students participate in UConn's Early College Experience program.
- SCSU Early College ProgramcoreSouthern Connecticut State University partnership enabling students to earn college credits through early college program while attending Staples.
- Connecticut State Community College High School PartnershipcorePartnership with Connecticut State Community College (formerly Norwalk Community College) allowing high school students to earn college credits through dual enrollment courses.
- Hwa Chong Institution (Singapore)minorInternational exchange program including Hwa Chong Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit and Staples Exchange Program in Singapore, providing cultural exchange opportunities for students.
- Normandy International Youth Leadership SummitminorInternational leadership summit partnership providing students with global leadership development and cultural exchange experiences.
- Edmentum (PLATO Platform)coreContracted online learning platform provider for PLATO courses. Edmentum provides online elective curriculum not otherwise available at Staples, with costs covered by the school system.
- SHAPE AmericaminorProfessional membership organization for health and physical education. Staples PE department follows SHAPE America National Standards for Physical Education.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Staples High School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Joel Barlow High School (Easton/Redding): Regional public high school serving Easton and Redding, CT — neighboring district to Westport. Competes for college-bound families in the broader Westport-area market.
- Fairfield Warde / Fairfield Ludlowe High Schools: Public high schools in Fairfield, CT, nearby Fairfield County. Comparable suburban public school system offering AP and college-preparatory programming; overlap in catchment-area families.
- Wilton High School: Public high school in Wilton, CT, adjacent to Westport. Comparable scale and demographic profile; competes directly for recognition in CT public school rankings and for in-region families.
- New Canaan High School: Public high school in New Canaan, CT — a peer affluent suburban public high school in lower Fairfield County. Direct competitor in the CT public-school rankings and for college-preparatory families in the region.
- Ridgefield High School: Public high school in Ridgefield, CT — comparable suburban, college-preparatory public high school in the same CT region. Overlaps with Staples on AP offerings, dual enrollment, and college counseling.
- Greenwich High School: Public high school in Greenwich, CT, comparable in scale and demographic profile. Competes for top CT public school rankings and offers similar AP breadth, athletics, and college counseling infrastructure.
- Darien High School: Public high school serving Darien, CT — a similarly affluent, college-preparatory public high school in Fairfield County. Direct competitor for top-ranked Connecticut public school status and feeder families in the surrounding region.
Regional players
- Ridgewood High School (NJ): Highly-ranked public high school in Ridgewood, NJ. Comparable in scale and college-preparatory positioning, often cited alongside top CT public schools; serves as a regional benchmark rather than a direct CT competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Staples High School social profiles
Digital presenceStaples High School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Staples High School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Staples High School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Staples High School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Staples High School
What does Staples High School do?
Staples High School delivers public secondary education to students in grades 9-12 in Westport, Connecticut, including a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum with Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment with regional universities, Independent Learning Experiences, and online electives. Services are funded through local property taxes and state/federal education funding with no tuition charged to district residents, and are supported by a School Counseling department, athletics, arts, and media programs including WWPT 90.3 FM radio and Staples Television Network.
Is Staples High School a public or private company?
Staples High School is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Staples High School founded?
Staples High School was founded in 1935.
Where is Staples High School based?
Staples High School is headquartered in Westport, United States, in the North America region.
How does Staples High School make money?
One revenue line is on record: public School Funding.
Who are Staples High School's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Joel Barlow High School (Easton/Redding), Fairfield Warde / Fairfield Ludlowe High Schools, Wilton High School, New Canaan High School, Ridgefield High School, Greenwich High School and Darien High School. Ridgewood High School (NJ) is listed as a regional player.
Does Staples High School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Staples High School.
What industry is Staples High School in?
Staples High School's product category is Public Secondary Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAD, Public High Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.