RSU 5

What RSU 5 does

RSU 5 (Regional School Unit 5) is a public school district established under Maine state law, providing free K-12 education to residents of three municipalities — Durham, Freeport, and Pownal. The district operates seven schools: Durham Community School (K-5), Freeport High School (9-12), Freeport Middle School (6-8), Mast Landing School (K-5), Morse Street School (PreK-5), Pownal Elementary School (K-5), and Region 10 Technical High School, which extends into vocational and technical programming. Approximately 423 staff members deliver instruction and supporting services across academics, special education, gifted and talented programming, athletics, arts, health services, transportation, nutrition, technology, and community programs.

The district runs on conventional K-12 educational technology rather than a proprietary platform. Core systems include PowerSchool for student information, NWEA MAP for assessment, Aesop for substitute/absence management, Tyler Technologies for employee self-service, Finalsite for the public-facing website (rsu5.org), Google Workspace for curriculum documentation, and IncidentIQ for facility and IT ticketing. There is no public API, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML capability; technology functions as operational infrastructure rather than as a productized offering.

RSU 5 is funded as a government entity, not as a commercial business. Revenue streams consist of Maine state education aid, local property taxes from Durham, Freeport, and Pownal under state-determined cost-sharing formulas, and federal grants (including USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine awards and federal mental health grants whose 2025 termination was reversed by court order in December 2025). Annual budgets are subject to voter referendum; the FY27 budget passed 3,738 to 1,503. Governance is provided by an 11-member elected Board of Directors with standing committees (Finance, Policy, Strategic Communications, Facilities and Operations, Stipend Review) and advisory committees (DEI, Curriculum and Program Development, Strategic Planning). Leadership includes Superintendent Tom Gray and Board Chair Michelle Ritcheson. Distribution is direct to families through district-operated schools, with no third-party channel or tuition-based revenue.

Name

RSU 5

Legal name

Regional School Unit 5

Website

https://rsu5.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RSU 5 (Regional School Unit 5) is a Maine public school district providing free K-12 education to residents of Durham, Freeport, and Pownal across seven schools and approximately 423 staff, funded by state aid, local property taxes, and federal grants under voter-approved annual budgets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

IEP/504 Planning, Case Management & Compliance (EDAJAKAB), Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Special education services
• Student transportation
• School nutrition programs
• Interscholastic athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Freeport

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, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Public school district funded primarily through Maine state education funding, based on student enrollment and town cost-sharing formulas
2. Local Property Taxes: Local education funding from property taxes in member towns of Durham, Freeport, and Pownal, with cost-sharing formulas determined by property values and student populations
3. Federal Grants: Federal grant funding including USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants and federal mental health grants (though these face uncertainty)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RSU 5 is a public school district that provides tuition-free K-12 education and instructional support services to students residing in Durham, Freeport, and Pownal, Maine. The district operates seven schools (elementary, middle, high school, and a regional technical high school) and supports them with central administrative departments covering curriculum, special education, transportation, nutrition, health services, athletics, and community programs.

Product overview

RSU 5 (Regional School Unit 5) is a public school district serving the towns of Durham, Freeport, and Pownal in Maine. The district operates as a unified educational platform comprising seven schools: Durham Community School, Freeport High School, Freeport Middle School, Mast Landing School, Morse Street School, Pownal Elementary School, and Region 10 Technical High School (a regional technical high school). The district's product portfolio includes core educational services organized through specialized departments covering curriculum and instruction, special education, health services, transportation, nutrition, athletics, and community programs. Administrative and governance services are delivered through the Board of Directors with standing committees (Finance, Policy, Strategic Communications) and advisory committees (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Curriculum and Program Development). Technology infrastructure and support services are centralized through the Technology Department. The district uses integrated technology platforms including PowerSchool for student information, Aesop for absence management, NWEA for assessment, and Finalsite for website management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Durham Community School K-5 elementary school serving students in Durham, Maine, part of RSU 5's district-wide educational system.
• Freeport High School High school (grades 9-12) serving students in Freeport, Maine with comprehensive academic and athletic programs including recent turf field investment.
• Freeport Middle School Middle school (grades 6-8) serving Freeport students with focus on adolescent development and academic preparation.
• Mast Landing School Elementary school serving students in the RSU 5 district, featuring community time programs and outdoor education opportunities.
• Morse Street School Elementary school in RSU 5 offering early childhood education through grade 5, including PreK programs.
• Pownal Elementary School K-5 elementary school serving Pownal students with emphasis on outdoor and environmental learning experiences.
• Region 10 Technical High School Technical high school serving RSU 5 students providing vocational and technical education programs.
• RSU 5 School Nutrition District food service program providing meals to students with free and reduced meal options.
• RSU 5 Transportation Services Student transportation services including bus routes and fleet management.
• RSU 5 Community Programs Before and after school programs, summer enrichment, and community education offerings.
• RSU 5 Athletics Interscholastic athletic programs including fall, winter, and spring sports for middle and high school students.
• RSU 5 Health Services School nursing services, medication administration, health screenings, and student wellness programs.
• RSU 5 Special Education Special education services including early childhood special education, individualized education programs, and related services.
• Freeport Performing Arts Center Performing arts venue operated by RSU 5 available for community and school performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• FY27 Budget approved by voters (Yes: 3738, No: 1503)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Southern Aroostook Area Regional Service CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Joint application for $1 million USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant enabling six northern Maine school districts to deploy advanced technology including networking equipment, interactive whiteboards, simulators, laptops and telehealth tools across 12 sites in Aroostook, Penobscot and Washington counties. This partnership enables rural schools to share staffing and provide telemedicine services for specialized student needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scarborough Public Schools: Another Maine public K-12 school district of comparable size and suburban character; operates a multi-school system with similar funding structure (state aid + local property taxes) and serves as the most directly comparable Maine district to RSU 5.
• MSAD 51 (Cumberland-North Yarmouth): Regional Maine school administrative district serving two adjacent towns with multi-school structure, virtually identical governance model to RSU 5's Regional School Unit structure under Maine law.
• Yarmouth Schools: Maine coastal public school district serving a similar mix of elementary, middle, and high school students with comparable per-pupil spending profile; one of the most demographic and economically comparable peer districts to RSU 5.
• Falmouth Public Schools: Southern Maine public K-12 district serving a single affluent town with similar enrollment scale and funding approach; directly comparable to RSU 5 on per-pupil expenditure and program breadth.
• Cape Elizabeth School Department: Affluent coastal Maine public K-12 district of similar scale with comparable property-tax-funded funding model and community engagement approach; useful peer for assessing taxpayer-supported program offerings.
• Brunswick School Department: Mid-coast Maine public K-12 district operating multiple schools under a similar governance and funding model; serves as a natural operational peer for benchmarking curriculum, staffing ratios, and capital planning.
• RSU 1 (Bath area): Another Regional School Unit under the same Maine statutory framework, serving multiple towns with a comparable multi-school district structure; directly comparable on governance, funding mechanics, and operational scale.

Regional players

• Freeport-based public charter / RSU 18 (Messalonskee): Regional Maine school unit serving a different geography (central Maine) under the same RSU statutory framework; relevant peer for governance and funding-formula comparison though serving a distinct catchment.

Others

• PowerSchool Group: Provider of the student information system that RSU 5 uses operationally; included as an ecosystem/technology-adjacent peer that monetizes the same K-12 instructional data and operational workflows that RSU 5 executes on.

Broad incumbents

• Portland Public Schools (Maine): Largest Maine public K-12 district; while significantly bigger than RSU 5, it operates under the same state funding laws and serves as the broad incumbent benchmark for Maine public K-12 operating performance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC97VXXLhRFRjSPv1wfo1ACA
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 RSU 5