What Spring Education Group does

Spring Education Group is a for-profit, privately held operator of private preschool through 12th-grade schools, headquartered in Campbell, California, and majority-owned by investment funds administered by Primavera Holdings Limited. The company operates 200+ schools across 19 U.S. states and internationally, organized into three divisions: an Early Childhood Education Division of 133 schools (infant care through Pre-K/K), a K-12 Division of 71 schools, and an Online Division anchored by Laurel Springs School. The portfolio comprises 27 school brands with differentiated pedagogical positioning, including BASIS Independent Schools (advanced BASIS Curriculum established 1998), Stratford School (STEAM-based curriculum recognized by the White House), Chesterbrook Academy (founded 1985, 100,000+ students served historically), LePort Montessori (AMI and AMS accredited), Merryhill School (founded 1949), and L'Etoile French Immersion School. Programs include language immersion in Mandarin and Spanish, Montessori methods, proprietary Links to Learning curriculum, and the Startups@Spring network-wide entrepreneurial competition.

The business is built on a tuition-funded annual subscription revenue model with no fundraising obligations, priced per student per year across multiple grade levels and program types. Employer Partnership Program discounts of up to 10% are available to employees of 70+ corporate partners at 130+ schools in 18 states. Enrollment is generated through a website-based school finder tool, employer referrals, and a continuous school acquisitions program; families contact individual schools directly. Laurel Springs School extends the model to a globally accessible, WASC-accredited online K-12 offering. Shared services for Finance, Marketing, Technology, Analytics, Legal, HR, and Talent Acquisition are centralized across the network, alongside a dedicated Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation team. The company holds multiple accreditations (WASC, AMI, AMS), maintains CCPA and GDPR compliance, and is led by CEO Michael Collins (former Primavera Capital Managing Director), CFO Debbie Listman, CAO Dr. Jeanne Huybrechts, and divisional presidents for BASIS Independent/Stratford, Real Estate, and Shared Services.

Name

Spring Education Group

Legal name

Spring Education Group, Inc.

Website

https://springeducationgroup.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Spring Education Group operates 200+ private preschool through 12th-grade schools across 19 U.S. states and internationally, plus the globally accessible Laurel Springs online K-12 school, under 27 brands including BASIS Independent, Stratford, Chesterbrook Academy, and LePort Montessori, and is majority-owned by Primavera Holdings Limited.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursery School Readiness & Transition Programs (EDACACAL)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Preschool education services
• Montessori early childhood
• Online private schooling
• STEAM curriculum education

Headquarters

HQ city

Campbell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Private School Tuition: Spring Education Group operates tuition-funded private schools offering educational services from infant care through 12th grade. The company's revenue is generated through tuition payments from families, with schools creating an open, transparent culture and strong community without fundraising distractions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spring Education Group operates a tuition-funded network of 200+ private schools serving students from infant care through 12th grade across 19 U.S. states and internationally, plus a globally accessible online private school. The company operates 27 distinct school brands organized into an Early Childhood Division (133 schools offering Montessori, language immersion, and proprietary Links to Learning curriculum), a K-12 Division (71 schools featuring the BASIS Curriculum and STEAM-based Stratford School programs), and an Online Division (Laurel Springs School). Revenue is generated primarily through tuition payments from families, supplemented by an Employer Partnership Program offering tuition discounts to employees of 70+ corporate partners.

Product overview

Spring Education Group is a platform/network of 200+ private schools across the U.S. and internationally, plus a globally accessible online private school (Laurel Springs School). The portfolio spans multiple divisions: the Early Childhood Division (133 schools offering infant care through Pre-K/K), the K-12 Division (71 schools), and the Online Division. The company operates 27 school brands including Laurel Springs School (online K-12), Stratford School (STEAM-focused K-12), BASIS Independent Schools (advanced curriculum K-12), Chesterbrook Academy, LePort Montessori, and Merryhill School, among others. Programs include the Startups@Spring entrepreneurial incubator competition, the Employer Partnership Program offering tuition discounts, and the proprietary Links to Learning curriculum. The network offers diverse pedagogical approaches including Montessori (AMI and AMS accredited), language immersion (Mandarin and Spanish), and progressive STEAM-based education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Early Childhood Division: 133 schools offering infant care through Pre-K/K programs including Links to Learning curriculum, Montessori schools (AMI and AMS accredited), and language immersion programs in Mandarin and Spanish.
• K-12 Division
• Online Division

Products and services

• Laurel Springs School Laurel Springs School is the first online K-12 private school in America, founded in 1991 by educator Marilyn Mosley Gordanier. It provides WASC-accredited flexible and personalized learning experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and beyond, offering a globally accessible private school education that values students as individuals.
• Stratford School Stratford School is a preschool through grade 12 private school network with over 30 campuses serving families across the Bay Area and Southern California. It offers a STEAM-based curriculum recognized by the White House as a leader in early childhood STEM education, complemented by world language programs in Mandarin and Spanish.
• BASIS Independent Schools BASIS Independent Schools operate campuses using the top-ranked BASIS Curriculum, established in 1998. The network serves students from PreK through grade 12 with an advanced academic program that delivers superior educational outcomes, including 1,833 college acceptances for the Class of 2026 across 205 universities.
• Chesterbrook Academy Chesterbrook Academy is a private school network serving children from 6 weeks old through 8th grade across Florida, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Founded in 1985, it has served over 100,000 students.
• LePort Montessori LePort Montessori schools embrace both AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) and AMS (American Montessori Society) accredited Montessori methods. The schools focus on helping children learn to think for themselves, develop strong academic skills, and become independent.
• Merryhill School Merryhill School was founded in 1949 in Sacramento, California. It provides private school education with a caring and nurturing environment for young children from preschool through elementary grades.
• Xplor Preschool & School Age Care Xplor provides preschool and school age care programs, offering early childhood education services for working families as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Sagemont Preparatory School Sagemont Preparatory School is a private school located in Weston, Florida, serving students with comprehensive educational programs. It was ranked #2 Most Diverse Private High Schools in America by Niche 2026.
• Evergreen Academy Evergreen Academy is a private school with campuses in the Seattle area of Washington, offering elementary and Montessori programs as one of Spring Education Group's school brands.
• Touchstone Schools Touchstone Schools provides private school education with a focus on academic excellence as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Paragon Prep Paragon Prep is a private school with campuses in Austin, Texas offering preschool through elementary education as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• The Rhoades School The Rhoades School is a private school in Encinitas, California offering programs from Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• L'Etoile French Immersion School L'Etoile French Immersion School provides French language immersion education in the Portland, Oregon area as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Early Childhood Division The Early Childhood Education Division includes 133 schools offering infant care through Pre-K/K programs. It spans a nationwide geographic footprint with diverse pedagogical approaches including the proprietary Links to Learning curriculum, Montessori schools (AMI and AMS accredited), and progressive language immersion programs in Mandarin and Spanish.
• K-12 Division The K-12 Division includes 71 schools with programs spanning Preschool, Elementary, Middle School and High School. The division features the top-ranked BASIS Curriculum, Stratford School's STEAM-based curriculum, and various pedagogical approaches across the network.
• Online Division (Laurel Springs School) The Online Division features Laurel Springs School, a WASC-accredited pioneer in online private school education since 1991 providing flexible and personalized learning experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and beyond.
• Employer Partnership Program The Employer Partnership Program allows participating companies to offer employees up to 10% off tuition at Spring Education Group schools as part of their benefits package. The program is available at over 130 schools in 18 states with over 70 corporate partners.
• Startups@Spring Entrepreneurial Program Startups@Spring is a network-wide startup pitch competition designed to develop real-world problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation skills in students. Modeled after Silicon Valley startup accelerator formats, the program challenges middle and high school students to conceptualize and pitch original business ideas to venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
• Wood Acres School Wood Acres School is a private school in Marietta, Georgia serving children from 2 years through 8th grade as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Carrington Academy Carrington Academy provides early childhood education programs serving the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Heritage Oak Private Education Heritage Oak Private Education is a private school in Yorba Linda, California serving children from 2.5 years through 8th grade as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Enchanted Care Learning Center Enchanted Care Learning Center offers childcare services from 6 weeks old through kindergarten in the Columbus, Ohio area as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Discovery Isle Preschool Discovery Isle Preschool provides early childhood education services, particularly in the San Diego region of California, as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Brighton School Brighton School is a private school serving the Mountlake Terrace area of Washington state as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Park Maitland School Park Maitland School is a private school serving the Orlando area in Florida, with campuses in Maitland and Winter Park, as one of Spring Education Group's 27 school brands.
• Stratford Preparatory Stratford Preparatory is a college preparatory high school program under the Stratford School network, with campuses including Blackford (San Jose) and Milpitas serving grades 6-12. Its inaugural graduating class achieved 14% National Merit Semifinalist distinctions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,833 college acceptances for Class of 2026 across BASIS Independent Schools from 205 universities including international institutions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NicheminorOthers · 3 October 2024Third-party school ratings platform that publishes annual Best Schools rankings, which Spring Education Group schools consistently achieve top ratings from (A+ and A grades for most K-12 schools).
• Corporate Employer Partners (70+ companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 70 corporations participate in Spring Education Group's Employer Partnership Program, offering employees up to 10% off tuition at over 130 schools across 18 states as part of their employee benefits package.
• Startups@Spring Competition Judges PanelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry leaders including Craig Martell (VP/CTO at Lockheed Martin), Rebecca Lin (CEO of ToroBio), Amrit Saxena (Founder/CEO of SaxeCap and Silicon Valley angel investor), Ken Snyder (Executive Director of Shingo Institute at Utah State University), and J Provine (CEO/Co-Founder of Aligned Carbon) served as judges for the student entrepreneurship competition.
• Project Wayfinder (Stanford University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStratford School partners with Project Wayfinder, developed at Stanford University, to support middle and high school students in developing self-awareness, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and healthy relationship skills.
• WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges)coreOthersLaurel Springs School holds WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an authoritative body for certifying school quality.
• AMI (Association Montessori Internationale)coreOthersSpring Education Group's Montessori schools embrace accredited Montessori methods including AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) accreditation.
• AMS (American Montessori Society)coreOthersSpring Education Group's Montessori schools embrace accredited Montessori methods including AMS (American Montessori Society) accreditation.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Publicly traded operator of tuition-based early childhood education and dependent care centers across the US and globally. Most directly comparable for Spring's 133-school Early Childhood Division given its tuition-funded model, employer-sponsored backup care channel, and scale across multiple age segments.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: One of the largest private early childhood education providers in the US, operating thousands of tuition-based centers. Comparable to Spring's ECE division in scale, tuition model, and employer partnership programs.
• Learning Care Group: Privately held operator of multiple early childhood education brands (Childtime, Tutor Time, La Petite Academy). Directly comparable multi-brand tuition-based ECE network with similar footprint strategy to Spring's ECE division.
• Guidepost Montessori: Large network of Montessori schools serving infant through elementary programs across the US and internationally. Directly comparable to Spring's LePort Montessori and other Montessori-accredited programs within the ECE division.
• Primrose Schools: Franchise-based private early childhood education network with proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum. Comparable tuition-funded model serving infant through elementary-age children with strong brand-driven outcomes.
• The Goddard School: Franchise private preschool system serving infant through pre-K with proprietary play-based curriculum. Comparable tuition-funded, multi-state preschool operator with similar family demographic target.
• Stride Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.): Publicly traded online education company serving K-12 students with tuition-funded and publicly-funded virtual programs. Directly comparable to Spring's Laurel Springs School online division in delivery model and curriculum.
• Nobel Learning Communities: Operates private K-8 schools (including Merritt Academy and various charter schools). Highly comparable tuition-funded private school network with similar student demographic; previously acquired by Spring Education Group's parent.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: Public charter school network using the same BASIS Curriculum as Spring's BASIS Independent Schools. Comparable curriculum and pedagogy but operates in publicly funded charter model versus Spring's tuition-based private model — both a competitor and ecosystem participant.
• Fusion Academy: Private 1-on-1 middle and high school network serving students seeking individualized instruction. Comparable tuition-funded private school positioning at the high school level, though focused on a narrower individualized-learning niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZivHfYrOqwKecU4FfSnqWQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/springeducationgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/springeducationgroup
• Xx.com/SpringEduGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spring-education-group

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries10 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 Spring Education Group