SchoolHouse

What SchoolHouse does

SchoolHouse (legal entity New Class Inc., d/b/a SchoolHouse) is a New York-based EdTech company founded in 2020 that operates a microschool matching platform connecting families of K-8 children with credentialed teachers to form small in-person learning pods. The company was established during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to school closures and remote-learning failures, and has since positioned itself as a permanent alternative to traditional schooling. As of the most recent disclosures, SchoolHouse reports that over 14,000 parents have joined its microschool network and more than 1,000 families have formed microschools through its counseling and matching program, with operating locations spanning New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, and a referenced California market.

The platform is built around a web-based matching service (getschoolhouse.com) in which parents submit interest forms and are paired with a dedicated placement counselor who helps form a learning pod led by a rigorously screened teacher. Teachers are admitted through a selective process — SchoolHouse hires only 1 in 20 candidates interviewed — and average 8.5 years of classroom experience. Pods operate as either School Enrichment (part-time, 2 days/week, 5 hours/day, semester commitment) or Full School Replacement (full-time, 5 days/week, 5 hours/day), with small class sizes of 5–10 students providing what the company claims is 4–6x more individualized teacher attention than traditional settings. SchoolHouse handles state compliance registration and provides written transcripts, and supports multiple pedagogical approaches including Montessori, STEM, and Reggio Emilia curricula. The technology stack is lightweight: a website-driven funnel integrated with Stripe for payments and Google Classroom/G-Suite for Education as learning tools; no proprietary AI/ML layer is documented.

SchoolHouse generates revenue through recurring monthly tuition fees that vary by pod size and geography (an example price point is $1,550/month for a 3rd-grade seat in South Orange, NJ). The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and heavily reliant on earned media coverage in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, and Politico, with parent word-of-mouth referrals cited as the primary enrollment driver and 95% parent satisfaction reported in internal polling. The company raised $8.1 million in April 2021 led by Pace Capital, with participation from Metrodora Ventures, Operator Partners, and Trust Ventures, and is led by CEO Brian Tobal and Co-Founder/COO Joseph Connor.

Name

SchoolHouse

Legal name

New Class Inc.

Website

https://getschoolhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SchoolHouse is a New York-based EdTech company that matches K-8 families with credentialed teachers to form small in-person microschools, operating a direct-to-consumer platform with 1,000+ active families across multiple U.S. states and subscription-based monthly tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Microschool Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Homeschool Hybrid / University-Model / Microschool Networks (Private) (EDAJABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)

Keywords

• Microschool matching services
• Learning pod formation
• K-8 alternative education
• Personalized home schooling
• Teacher placement platform

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Microschool Tuition: SchoolHouse generates revenue through tuition fees charged to families for microschool participation. Tuition is based on pod size and geographic location. The company offers two program tiers: School Enrichment (part-time, 2 days/week, 5 hours/day, semester commitment) and Full School Replacement (full-time, 5 days/week, 5 hours/day). One example given is $1,550/month for a 3rd-grade microschool seat in New Jersey.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SchoolHouse operates a microschool matching platform that connects families of K-8 children with credentialed teachers to form small in-person learning pods of 5-10 students. Each family is paired with a dedicated placement counselor who matches them to a teacher and helps form the pod. Available as either School Enrichment (part-time, 2 days/week, 5 hours/day, semester commitment) or Full School Replacement (full-time, 5 days/week, 5 hours/day), with curriculum tailored to each child's needs including Montessori, STEM, and Reggio Emilia approaches. SchoolHouse also handles state compliance registration and provides written transcripts.

Product overview

SchoolHouse operates a microschool platform that connects families with credentialed teachers to form small learning pods. The core offering consists of the Microschool Matching Service and SchoolHouse Microschools (5-8 students per pod), available as either School Enrichment (part-time, 2 days/week) or Full School Replacement (full-time, 5 days/week). The platform also includes a Teacher Marketplace for teacher discovery, Academic Counseling & Placement services, and State Compliance & Transcript Services. Teachers undergo rigorous screening (hiring 1 in 20 candidates) and average 8.5 years of experience. The service provides personalized, individualized education with curriculum tailored to each child's needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SchoolHouse Microschool A microschool consisting of 5-10 students who meet in person and are led by a rigorously screened, credentialed teacher (1 in 20 candidates hired, averaging 8.5 years of experience). The service includes teacher matching, curriculum support, state compliance registration, and written transcripts for K-8 children.
• Teacher Marketplace A marketplace where parents can browse and connect with credentialed teachers. When a teacher joins, their profile information, grade-level preferences, and location may be shared with prospective families seeking to form microschool pods.
• Academic Counseling & Placement Service providing dedicated placement counselors to help match families with appropriate microschools and teachers based on their needs, preferences, and geography.
• State Compliance & Transcript Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Students receive 4–6x more individualized teacher attention compared to average private school students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationSchoolHouse uses Stripe as its payment processor for online payments and automated clearing house (ACH) payouts. Stripe handles payment processing, refunding, and complaint resolution. SchoolHouse does not directly process, record, or maintain credit card or bank account information.
• Hudson Valley Lighting Group (HVLG)minorOthersHudson Valley Lighting Group acquired SchoolHouse for $2.2 million plus assumed liabilities through a Food52 bankruptcy auction in February 2026. This marks HVLG's first expansion beyond lighting into broader home categories. SchoolHouse continues operating its existing divisions under HVLG's portfolio of brands. SchoolHouse had previously been acquired by Food52 for $48 million in December 2021.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prenda: Prenda is a microschool platform that matches students with certified teachers in small in-person learning pods, operating in a near-identical model to SchoolHouse. Both serve K-8 families seeking alternatives to traditional schooling with credentialed teachers in small groups.
• KaiPod Learning: KaiPod Learning operates microschools with small-group, personalized instruction led by credentialed educators, directly comparable to SchoolHouse's model. Both platforms focus on K-8 students and emphasize project-based, individualized learning in small cohorts.
• Wildflower Schools: Wildflower Schools is a decentralized network of small, teacher-led Montessori microschools serving elementary-aged children. While structured as independent micro-schools rather than a centralized marketplace, both Wildflower and SchoolHouse operate small, teacher-led K-8 learning environments.
• Acton Academy: Acton Academy operates a network of small, learner-driven microschools using project-based and individualized learning models for elementary and middle school students. The franchise-style approach parallels SchoolHouse's small-group, teacher-led model.

Emerging players

• Synthesis School: Synthesis School is an online microschool offering small-group, project-based learning for gifted and advanced learners. While primarily online rather than in-home pods, both target families seeking alternatives to traditional schooling with highly capable educators in small cohorts.
• Sora Schools: Sora Schools is an online microschool focused on project-based, self-directed learning for middle and high school students. While serving older students, both Sora and SchoolHouse share the small-group, alternative education ethos targeting families dissatisfied with conventional schooling.

Broad incumbents

• Outschool: Outschool is a broader online marketplace for small-group classes and tutoring for kids, serving millions of families. While Outschool focuses on live online classes rather than in-person pods, both companies operate marketplace models matching families with credentialed educators and serve alternative-education-seeking parents.
• Varsity Tutors: Varsity Tutors is a large online tutoring and instruction platform offering small-group classes across K-12 subjects. While broader in scope and primarily online, both companies serve families seeking supplemental or alternative education with qualified instructors in small-group formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getschoolhouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/microschoolpods
• Instagraminstagram.com/getschoolhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors4 records

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 SchoolHouse