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Education
Ivybrook Academy is a private, half-day preschool franchise serving young children through an education model influenced by Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies while incorporating its own proprietary curriculum and teaching methods.
What makes Ivybrook different from many traditional childcare franchises is that it is primarily positioned as an educational preschool rather than a full-day daycare center. Its half-day programs are designed for families looking for a structured, high-quality early-learning environment without necessarily needing full-day childcare.
The model combines small classroom environments, individualized learning, creative exploration and structured curriculum with a premium private-preschool experience. For the franchise owner, the half-day format also creates a somewhat different operating model from traditional childcare centers that may operate 10–12 hours per day.
Ivybrook has grown considerably since its first school opened in North Carolina and now reports more than 100 locations open or in development.
Ivybrook Academy was founded in 2007 by educators and sisters Kelsey Scanlon and Melissa McGinnis with a vision of creating a unique educational environment that combines the best elements of traditional preschool, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia teaching philosophies.
The founders recognized that many parents were seeking a more individualized early childhood education experience that focused on creativity, critical thinking, and child-led learning rather than standardized approaches.
The first Ivybrook Academy location quickly gained popularity among families looking for a premium preschool experience. As demand grew, the company expanded its footprint and eventually launched its franchise program to bring the Ivybrook model to additional communities across the United States.
Today, Ivybrook Academy operates a growing network of schools serving preschool-aged children and has positioned itself within the premium early childhood education segment. The brand focuses on small class sizes, individualized learning plans, and strong parent engagement.
As more families prioritize early childhood development and school readiness, Ivybrook Academy continues to benefit from growing demand for high-quality preschool education programs.
Ivybrook Academy is best suited for someone who wants to build a meaningful community-based business and likes the idea of combining business ownership with education and child development.
The owner doesn't necessarily need to have been a teacher.
In fact, business management, leadership, sales, marketing and people-management experience could be extremely valuable because the franchise provides the curriculum and educational operating system.
A strong candidate should be comfortable:
Managing a substantial investment.
Hiring and retaining teachers and school leadership.
Building relationships with parents and families.
Marketing within the local community.
Managing enrollment and classroom capacity.
Understanding labor costs and staffing ratios.
Maintaining strict safety and educational standards.
Managing a commercial facility.
Building a strong workplace culture.
Following an established curriculum and operating system.
I particularly like this for someone leaving a corporate career who wants their next business to have more of a community and personal-impact component.
You're not simply selling a product.
You're developing a school where families are entrusting you with their children.
That can make ownership extremely rewarding, but it also carries a level of responsibility that not every franchise owner wants.
Ivybrook provides franchisees with support beginning with site development and continuing through opening and ongoing school operations.
The franchise system provides its established curriculum and lesson plans, which is particularly important because franchisees don't have to develop an educational program from scratch.
Support includes areas such as:
Site selection and real estate guidance
Facility planning and development
Classroom design
Furniture, fixtures and equipment specifications
Proprietary curriculum and lesson plans
Teacher and staff training
School operations
Enrollment development
Marketing and advertising
Technology systems
Pre-opening preparation
Grand-opening support
Ongoing operational coaching
Continuing education and franchisee development
Ivybrook's model gives owners an established educational system while still allowing the individual school to develop strong relationships within its local community.
Third-party financing may be available.
Because Ivybrook now requires a potentially substantial investment, many qualified franchisees may use a combination of personal capital and financing.
Potential financing sources could include:
SBA-backed business loans
Conventional business loans
Retirement-based business funding
Investment partners
Personal capital
Certain equipment financing
The biggest issue isn't simply qualifying for financing.
A prospective owner should determine how much debt the school can reasonably support while enrollment is still building.
For a project potentially approaching $1 million, I would want the candidate to maintain adequate working capital rather than investing every available dollar into construction and opening expenses.
All investment figures are estimates based on publicly available information.
The investment figures, fees, financial requirements and financial performance information presented here are based on currently available franchise information and the most recent Franchise Disclosure Document information available at the time of publication. Franchise costs, fees and requirements may change. Prospective franchisees should carefully review the current Ivybrook Academy Franchise Disclosure Document, particularly Items 5, 6, 7, 11, 19 and 20, and consult qualified franchise attorneys, accountants and financial advisors before making an investment decision. Any revenue or EBITDA figures referenced should be reviewed in the context and methodology provided in Item 19 of the current FDD. Gross revenue is not owner income, and past performance does not guarantee future results.
An independent assessment from your franchise consultant
Steve Warres, Franchise ConsultantIvybrook Academy interests me because it occupies a somewhat different position from many children's franchises.
This isn't simply an after-school enrichment program, tutoring business or traditional daycare center. Ivybrook has built its brand around providing a premium early-childhood educational experience through a half-day preschool model.
From a business perspective, there are several things I find attractive.
Parents tend to take their children's education very seriously. Once a family finds a school they trust, price often becomes less important than quality, safety, teachers, reputation and the child's experience.
The recurring tuition model is also attractive. Rather than continually having to find a completely new customer every week, the goal is to develop an enrolled student population that generates recurring tuition throughout the school year.
However, this isn't a simple business.
You're dealing with employees, children, parents, regulatory requirements, a substantial facility and an investment that can now exceed $1 million.
For that reason, I would spend considerable time analyzing enrollment capacity, tuition rates, labor, occupancy costs and the Item 19 financial performance before recommending that someone move forward.
Bottom line: Ivybrook Academy is a franchise I would take seriously for a client who wants to enter the children's education industry and has both the financial resources and management ability required for a larger operation.
There is a lot I like about the model.
Education is important to parents, tuition creates recurring revenue, the concept has meaningful differentiation from traditional daycare, and the brand has demonstrated substantial growth.
I also appreciate that Ivybrook provides meaningful financial performance information.
According to the current 2026 FDD, the 27 schools open at least 24 months averaged approximately $933,598 in annual gross revenue, with median revenue of approximately $852,482.
That's useful information.
But it doesn't answer the most important question:
How much does the owner actually make relative to the amount invested?
With today's investment potentially exceeding $1.17 million, that becomes the key issue for me.
A school generating $900,000 or $1 million in revenue can sound impressive, but revenue isn't profit.
You still need to subtract teacher payroll, management salaries, rent, royalties, marketing, insurance, supplies, utilities, administrative expenses and potentially significant loan payments.
That's why I would focus heavily on EBITDA after paying a market-rate school director and then calculate cash flow after debt service.
I also think territory selection is extremely important.
Ivybrook should be strongest in growing communities with young families, higher household incomes, strong population growth and parents who value private early-childhood education.
For the right market and the right operator, the combination of recurring tuition, established curriculum, community reputation and increasing enrollment could create a very attractive business.
I would not consider this a passive franchise, however.
Even if an owner eventually has an excellent director running the school, the owner still needs to understand enrollment, staffing, parent satisfaction, financial performance and the culture of the organization.
Fill out the form and we will reach out to answer your questions, walk through the investment details and help you decide whether this is the right fit.
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