Welcome to Duneland
The Duneland School Corporation is governed by an elected five member Board of School Trustees, elected to represent the interests of over 5800 students from the townships of Westchester, Jackson, Liberty and part of Pine, all located in Porter County. The corporation spans a 92 square-mile area including the towns of Chesterton, Porter, Burns Harbor and Dune Acres, on the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana.
The Duneland School Corporation consists of five elementary schools (grades K-4), two intermediate schools (grades 5-6), two middle schools (grades 7-8) and a high school (grades 9-12). Each school has a hot lunch program and bus service is provided to all students living outside of walking boundaries.
In partnership with our parents and community, Duneland Schools are committed to maintaining a broad and rich educational program that responds to the individual needs of the children of our community. Fine Arts, physical education and STEM related learning experiences are provided in all grades K-12. World Language classes (e.g. French, German, Japanese and Spanish) begin at the middle school level and continue through high school. The International Baccalaureate program is offered at Chesterton High School, one of only 21 such programs in the State, in addition to extensive program offerings in Advanced Placement, concurrent/dual credit courses and a wide variety of vocational/career related courses.
The well-rounded curriculum with emphasis on core subjects is enhanced by a variety of co- and extra-curricular opportunities. Our students are actively involved in a nationally recognized speech and debate program, an award winning radio station – WDSO – celebrating its 40th year, award winning student publications, Fine Arts programs and performance groups, secondary interscholastic athletics, co-curricular and extracurricular clubs and finally, students and staff members at all grade levels are involved in numerous community service programs each year.
Duneland employs nearly 386 professional staff, counselors, administrators and specialists. A support staff of approximately 430 provides instructional assistance, transportation, supervision, secretarial, maintenance, child nutrition and custodial services throughout the school district. Parent volunteers, parent organizations and advisory groups are active at each school level and provide a viable link for home, school and community.
Duneland’s close proximity to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the city of Chicago provides unique educational, cultural, social and recreational opportunities for our students, parents and community. Further educational opportunities are available at regional campuses for Indiana University, Purdue University and Ivy Tech, as well as Valparaiso University and several technical schools. The Duneland Chamber of Commerce provides information regarding educational and family activities and programs throughout the area.
Several Duneland Schools have been recognized by both the national and state departments of education for academic excellence. In 2008, the Corporation received district accreditation in recognition of leadership and school improvement by AdvanceEd and NCA. Duneland students continue to receive state and national honors in mathematics, art, business, music, communications, media, science, speech, debate, world language, social studies and athletics. Individual pupil progress is monitored continuously and shared with parents during nine-week grade reports and special conferences.


Skyward Parent Access is available online for parents to monitor their student’s school progress at any time. A battery of achievement, aptitude and diagnostic tests designed to assess individual student progress and needs is given to various grade-level students throughout the school year.