Education Acquisitions in New Jersey

Next Level Education, an NMLS-approved provider of mortgage continuing education based in Franklin, Tennessee, has acquired Summit Mortgage Training of Hanover, New Jersey. Founder Andrea Gagliardi joins Next Level as Director of Content Management as the deal expands NLE's course offerings and East Coast reach for mortgage professionals.

Lightspeed Systems, supported by funds affiliated with Madison Dearborn Partners and Genstar Capital, has acquired STOPit Solutions to integrate anonymous reporting and crisis management with its student safety monitoring and web-filtering tools. The acquisition expands Lightspeed’s capabilities to provide unified case management, 24/7 human review, and enhanced visibility for K–12 schools to detect and prevent safety risks earlier.

Balance Point Capital Advisors, together with its affiliated fund Balance Point Capital Partners V, arranged debt financing for Lightbridge Academy, a portfolio company of Westerly Group and Elmsley Capital. The capital will support new location development and other growth initiatives as Lightbridge continues geographic expansion along the East Coast.

CentralReach, a Fort Lauderdale-based provider of Autism and IDD software, has acquired SILAS, a New Jersey-based provider of social and emotional learning (SEL) and behavior solutions for PreK–12. CentralReach will integrate SILAS's CASEL-aligned screening, SEL curriculum, executive functioning and behavioral tools into its education and ABA product suite to expand capabilities and reach into school districts and caregiver-facing offerings.

Emler Swim School acquired New Jersey Swim Schools, Inc. (Njswim) in Q4 2023, adding six locations in New Jersey and expanding Emler's network to 51 facilities across 12 states. Njswim will continue operating under its current name with the same enrollment plans and staff; the founder Joe Oehme will be stepping into the partnership with Emler to maintain continuity.

3STEP Sports has acquired EDP Soccer, International Sporting Events and New York Club Soccer, adding league and event management capabilities to its expanding soccer division. The deal expands 3STEP's youth soccer footprint across New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio, Florida and Eastern Canada and positions the company as the largest owner-operator of youth soccer leagues in the United States.

engage2learn, a portfolio company of Leeds Equity Partners, has acquired the Coaching Assessment Effectiveness Suite developed by ReadyCoach. The Suite — built on 10 years of peer‑reviewed research — will be integrated into e2L's GroweLab platform and DIG Coaching Collaborative to expand the company's coaching assessment and certification capabilities for K‑12 school districts.

School Specialty, LLC has acquired FlagHouse, Inc., a global distributor of physical education, special needs and multisensory products (including Rompa/Snoezelen). The acquisition expands School Specialty's product portfolio and special-needs capabilities, strengthens its presence in Canada and non-education markets, and will move FlagHouse fulfillment into School Specialty facilities in Ohio and Wisconsin.

3STEP Sports, the nation’s largest youth sports club and event operator, has acquired Patriot Lacrosse Club, a New Jersey–based elite youth lacrosse organization founded in 1998. The acquisition expands 3STEP’s lacrosse division and brings Patriot’s team, clinic and camp programming into 3STEP’s national platform.

3STEP Sports, the nation’s largest youth sports club and event operator, has acquired Hoop Group, a long-established grassroots basketball camp and event operator founded in 1963. The acquisition brings Hoop Group’s camps, leagues and showcases into 3STEP’s national platform to expand its basketball programming and participant reach.

Beable Education has acquired Readorium, a provider of adaptive, standards-aligned science reading-comprehension software, and will integrate Readorium’s content into its Literacy Recovery Platform beginning with the 2022/23 school year. The deal expands Beable’s curriculum offerings to include science-based reading materials to support literacy recovery and STEM career exploration for grades 2–12.

NexPhase Capital has made an investment in Aztec Software, an educational software company serving adult learners and workforce training markets. The capital will support Aztec's growth, expansion into adjacent markets and channels, and execution of its acquisition pipeline; NexPhase partners will join the company's board while Jonathan Blitt remains CEO. Terms were not disclosed.

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) has acquired Bakpax, an AI-powered automated grading platform, to integrate its handwriting- and text-recognition grading technology into TPT's Easel product. The acquisition brings Bakpax's team and autograding capabilities to TPT to help teachers save time and provide faster student feedback.

Ridgewood, New Jersey-based Lively McCabe Entertainment has acquired Broadway Theater Workshops (BTW), a Montvale, New Jersey year-round musical theater training academy for students in grades 3-12. Founder John Asselta has entrusted BTW to Lively McCabe, which intends to continue BTW's programs and expand the brand across the region.

Renovus Capital Partners has acquired EducationDynamics, a market leader in higher-education marketing, enrollment management and student success coaching. WhiteHorse Capital provided debt financing and an equity co-investment to support the transaction; Renovus says it will invest in capabilities and pursue organic growth and tuck-in acquisitions to strengthen EducationDynamics' partnership with colleges and universities.

McGraw Hill, a Platinum Equity portfolio company, acquired Achieve3000, a Red Bank, New Jersey–based provider of differentiated instruction and learning acceleration for PreK–12. The add-on acquisition (financial terms not disclosed) expands McGraw Hill's supplemental and intervention digital offerings and supports the company's continued digital transformation.

Eureka Equity Partners has acquired Perfect Creation, Inc., d/b/a iPEC Coaching, a provider of coach training and certification solutions headquartered in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. The transaction, Eureka's second platform investment from its Eureka IV fund, will partner with iPEC's senior management to support growth and expansion into complementary service lines.

Kelly Services (through its Kelly Education division) acquired Insight Workforce Solutions, an education staffing company headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The acquisition, terms undisclosed, will merge Insight with Kelly Education to expand Kelly's K-12 education staffing footprint and capabilities across several states.