Lafayette Academy

What Lafayette Academy does

Lafayette Academy is a privately held K-12 tutoring and test preparation company headquartered at 3400 Mt Diablo Blvd in Lafayette, California, founded in 2004 by Mark and Kathy Bressler. The company serves families in the Lamorinda area (Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda) and surrounding Bay Area communities (Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton), with physical tutoring delivered six days a week at the Lafayette center and online delivery via Zoom. Its core product portfolio spans private one-on-one tutoring (K-8 and high school subjects), the proprietary Shadow Classes® small-group tutoring format that mirrors specific local high school courses (Acalanes, Campo, Miramonte), SAT/ACT test prep classes and private tutoring packages, Final Exam Cram® review sessions, and a sold-out college admissions counseling practice led by co-owner Kathy Bressler.

The underlying service is built on a proprietary curriculum library developed over 20+ years, including school-specific worksheets, ability-level differentiated instruction, and a VARK-based learning styles assessment that identifies atypical learners (45% of students). Operational tooling includes Slack channels for tutor knowledge sharing, Mindbody for scheduling and billing, Google Forms-based homework portals, an OnlineScoreTracker for practice test analysis, and adaptive learning platforms IXL and Redbird Math integrated into K-8 offerings. The company has reported serving over 35,000 K-12 students since inception, with 91% of Shadow Class students raising grades by 1-2 letter grades and documented student outcomes including 300+ point SAT score increases.

The business model is a mix of subscription (Shadow Classes at $236/month or $49/week with semester pre-pay), one-time packages (SAT/ACT tutoring at $895-$1,650, K-8 packages at $1,602-$2,844), and per-session pricing (Final Exam Cram at $99 per 2-hour session, hourly tutoring at $44-$129). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, 20+ years of LPIE and Chamber of Commerce community involvement, a content blog, and a 4.6-star Google rating across 31 reviews rather than paid advertising. The company has no disclosed outside funding, operates with 11-50 employees, and closed physical locations in Danville and Moraga during the pandemic before expanding online delivery to additional Bay Area districts.

Name

Lafayette Academy

Legal name

Lafayette Academy

Website

https://lafayetteacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lafayette Academy is a family-owned K-12 tutoring and test prep company in Lafayette, California, offering private tutoring, Shadow Classes®, SAT/ACT prep, Final Exam Cram®, and college admissions counseling to Bay Area students and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tutoring & Test Preparation Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Tutoring & Academic Intervention (K–12) (EDAJADAH), Homework Tutoring & Academic Support (Subject Tutoring) (HSAAAHAC)

Keywords

• K-12 tutoring services
• SAT ACT test prep
• Small group tutoring
• College admissions counseling
• After-school academic support

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Tutoring: One-on-one in-person or online tutoring sessions. Tutoring is available for all subjects including K-8 programs (Master Math, Strategic Reading, Intentional Writing), high school subjects, and standardized test prep. Revenue is generated through session packages or hourly rates.
2. Shadow Classes® (Small Group Tutoring): Weekly small group tutoring sessions that shadow specific school classes. Priced at $236/month ($59/week) or $49/week with semester pre-payment. These recurring sessions provide predictable monthly revenue.
3. SAT/ACT Test Prep Classes: Group test prep classes organized by ability level with hybrid summer/fall or spring structure. Summer SAT Prep priced at 3 monthly payments of $395 ($1,185 total) for 11 classes including tutoring. Additional private tutoring packages available.
4. Final Exam Cram®: One-time 2-hour review sessions before finals, priced at $99 per session. Includes comprehensive study packets. Over 1,000 students attend annually, many as repeat customers each semester.
5. College Admissions Counseling: Comprehensive college admissions counseling program led by Kathy Bressler (17 years experience). Limited to 12-18 students per grade. Sold out for classes of 2024 and 2025 (9th and 10th consecutive year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lafayette Academy sells private one-on-one tutoring, recurring small-group Shadow Classes aligned to specific local high school classes, SAT/ACT test prep programs, K-8 academic programs (Master Math, Strategic Reading, Intentional Writing), Final Exam Cram review sessions, and college admissions counseling. Services are delivered in-person at the Lafayette, CA center and online via Zoom to K-12 students and families across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product overview

Lafayette Academy is a tutoring and test preparation company offering a comprehensive suite of educational services. The core offerings include Private Tutoring (in-person and online), Shadow Classes (small group tutoring that shadows local school curricula), and test preparation programs (SAT Prep and ACT Prep). Supporting products include Master Math programs (elementary and middle school), Strategic Reading, and Intentional Writing for K-8 students. The company also offers College Admissions Counseling and Final Exam Cram sessions. All services are delivered in-person at the Lafayette location or online via Zoom, with programs tailored to local school curricula and textbooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shadow Classes®: Weekly small group tutoring sessions that shadow specific classes at local high schools (Acalanes, Campo, Miramonte). School-specific tutoring that helps students clearly understand complicated topics, prepare for tests, and earn higher grades.
• Final Exam Cram®
• Master Math
• Strategic Reading
• Intentional Writing

Products and services

• Private Tutoring One-on-one personalized tutoring sessions available both in-person at the Lafayette, CA location and online via Zoom, covering all subjects for K-12 students. Targets families seeking individualized instruction tailored to each student's learning style.
• Online Math Tutoring Virtual math tutoring delivered online to students in districts that use the same textbooks as local Lamorinda schools, including Big Ideas Math curriculum for Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and other math subjects.
• Shadow Classes® Weekly small group tutoring sessions that shadow specific classes at local schools (Acalanes, Campo, Miramonte). Classes are school-specific and include prep for tests, explanation of complex topics, and review sessions. Priced at $236/month ($59/week) or $49/week with semester pre-payment.
• Summer SAT Prep Hybrid summer SAT test preparation program with 11 classes, 3 hours of private tutoring, and 3 practice tests. Organized by ability level with differentiated instruction. Priced at 3 monthly payments of $395 ($1,185 total).
• SAT & ACT Private Tutoring Private tutoring packages for SAT and ACT prep with subject-specific options (Single Subject: $895 SAT / $625 ACT; All Subjects: $1,599 SAT / $1,650 ACT), practice tests, and hourly tutoring at $129/hour.
• ACT Prep ACT test preparation program with private tutoring packages, practice tests, and homework portal access for verbal and math/science subjects. Includes hourly tutoring at $129/hour.
• Final Exam Cram® Two-hour school and subject-specific review sessions before final exams, including comprehensive study packets. Available for Acalanes, Campo, Las Lomas, and Miramonte high schools. Priced at $99 per session. Over 1,000 students attend annually.
• College Admissions Counseling Comprehensive college counseling program led by Kathy Bressler including academic planning, essay brainstorming and editing, application support, and college selection guidance for grades 9-12.
• Intentional Writing Writing and grammar skills program for K-8 students using Redbird Language Arts & Writing adaptive technology combined with teacher-led instruction to develop writing voice and style.
• Strategic Reading Reading comprehension program for K-8 students using IXL adaptive platform with teacher guidance to help students become strategic readers who comprehend and retain difficult texts.
• Master Middle School Math Middle school math tutoring program using IXL Math adaptive platform combined with experienced teachers, personalized learning programs, and regular progress assessments.
• Master Elementary School Math Elementary school math tutoring using IXL Math adaptive platform with personalized instruction guided by experienced teachers to help students catch up or get ahead.
• Online Algebra 2 Tutoring Online Algebra 2 tutoring for all levels (Advanced, w/ Trig, w/ PreCalc, Honors) using proprietary best practices curriculum and worksheets for students in Lamorinda, Danville, Dublin, Pleasanton, and schools using Big Ideas Math textbooks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of Shadow Class students raise grades by 1-2 letter grades
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Huntington Learning Center: Multi-service tutoring and test prep franchise offering K-12 subject tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and study skills programs. Directly comparable to Lafayette Academy as a one-on-one plus small-group test prep and tutoring operator serving suburban families.
• Mathnasium: Specialized math tutoring franchise with proprietary curriculum and assessment-driven instruction. Comparable to Lafayette Academy's Master Math / Algebra 2 programs in its focus on math-specific differentiated instruction for K-12 students.
• Sylvan Learning: National tutoring franchise offering personalized K-12 instruction, SAT/ACT prep, and STEM programs. Comparable to Lafayette Academy in delivering in-center plus online tutoring with proprietary assessment-driven curricula.
• Kumon: Large-scale math and reading after-school tutoring franchise using proprietary worksheets and self-learning methodology. Comparable to Lafayette Academy's K-8 Master Math, Strategic Reading, and Intentional Writing programs.
• Varsity Tutors: Online tutoring and test prep platform offering one-on-one instruction, small-group classes, and SAT/ACT prep. Comparable to Lafayette Academy's online private tutoring and SAT/ACT prep offerings, though at a much larger, national scale.

Broad incumbents

• The Princeton Review: Established national test prep and tutoring brand with SAT/ACT prep courses, private tutoring, and college admissions counseling. Comparable in services but operates at far greater scale and with broader geographic reach than Lafayette Academy.
• Kaplan: Major incumbent in standardized test prep, admissions, and K-12 tutoring with online and in-person offerings. Comparable in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions counseling scope, but with a much larger portfolio and brand.

Emerging players

• Wyzant: Online tutoring marketplace connecting students with private tutors across subjects and test prep. Comparable to Lafayette Academy's private one-on-one tutoring arm, though marketplace model differs.
• PrepScholar: Online SAT/ACT prep program with adaptive algorithms and prep courses. Comparable in SAT/ACT prep focus and online delivery model, but serves a national audience versus Lafayette Academy's local curriculum specialization.
• StudyPoint: Private one-on-one tutoring and SAT/ACT prep provider with national reach. Comparable to Lafayette Academy's private SAT/ACT tutoring model with differentiated, score-improvement-focused programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lafacad
• Facebookfacebook.com/LafayetteAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lafayette-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Lafayette Academy