Spring Education Group
An American private education company operating early-childhood, K–12, Montessori, and online schools.
Last updated October 18, 2026
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Overview
Spring Education Group (SEG) is a privately held American education company that operates a broad network of early-childhood education centers, private schools, Montessori programs, and online education services. Its portfolio spans children from infancy and preschool through secondary school, giving the group a presence across several segments of the U.S. private-education market rather than concentrating on a single school format. The organization is based in Campbell, California, and West Chester, Pennsylvania, and operates schools in numerous U.S. states. The group was assembled through the combination and acquisition of established education operators. Its formation began with the integration of Stratford School, LePort Montessori Schools, Nobel Learning Communities, and BASIS Independent Schools during 2017 and 2018. Nobel Learning Communities supplied a large multi-state platform, with schools serving children from approximately six weeks of age through high school. Stratford added a California-based preschool-through-eighth-grade network, while LePort contributed Montessori schools in Southern California. BASIS Independent later expanded the group’s presence in academically selective preschool-through-twelfth-grade education. SEG’s portfolio has included recognizable regional and national school brands such as Stratford School, Chesterbrook Academy, Merryhill School, BASIS Independent Schools, LePort Montessori, and Laurel Springs School. Other brands and locations associated with the organization have included Discovery Isle Child Development Center, Enchanted Care Learning Center, Camelback Desert School, Southern Highlands Preparatory School, and The Honor Roll School. The network has been described as comprising more than 200 schools across 19 U.S. states, although the exact count can change as campuses open, close, or change ownership. The company’s business model combines direct operation of schools with the ownership and management of differentiated education brands. Early-childhood centers emphasize care, development, and school readiness; Montessori schools use Montessori-oriented instruction; K–12 private schools provide elementary and secondary curricula; and online offerings extend the group’s reach beyond physical campuses. Individual schools may maintain distinct curricula, admissions processes, accreditation arrangements, and local identities while operating within the wider SEG ownership structure. Spring Education Group is majority-owned by investment funds associated with Primavera, an investment firm founded and led by Chinese investment professionals and principally based in Hong Kong, with operations in the United States, China, and Singapore. This ownership has generated public and political scrutiny, particularly where schools participate in publicly supported education programs. In 2019, a group of parents connected with BASIS Independent Schools raised concerns about the schools’ ownership. In 2023, Florida removed four SEG-owned private schools from eligibility for a state voucher program, citing concerns related to the ownership structure and the background of Primavera Capital Group chairman Fred Hu. Hu rejected allegations that he was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. The company also faced operational and financial pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. A preschool operated by SEG in Oregon closed temporarily after a worker tested positive, and at least one Merryhill preschool in California closed permanently in 2020 amid economic difficulties worsened by pandemic disruptions. Moody’s changed SEG’s credit outlook from stable to negative during the period of pandemic-related closures before returning it to stable later in 2020. SEG remains an active private education operator whose schools are accredited or recognized by a range of regional and national organizations, depending on the individual campus.
History
Spring Education Group is a private American education platform assembled from multiple school operators rather than founded as a single-campus school brand. Its operating history therefore reflects the development of the constituent organizations and the subsequent consolidation of their activities under common ownership. One of the important predecessors was Nobel Learning Communities, which was established in 1983 and developed a substantial multi-state network serving children from early infancy through high school. By the time of its acquisition by Investcorp and Bahrain’s Mumtalakat Holding Company in 2015, Nobel had become a significant private-school and early-childhood operator. Its platform eventually provided much of the geographic breadth associated with the later Spring Education Group, with schools in 19 states and tens of thousands of students. Stratford School formed another major component of the group. The California-based operator served children from preschool through eighth grade and had previously been owned by Warburg Pincus. SEG acquired Stratford in a leveraged transaction during the period in which the wider group was being assembled. The transaction used debt financing, illustrating the investment-backed consolidation model that characterized the company’s development. During 2017 and 2018, SEG combined or brought together Stratford School, LePort Montessori Schools, Nobel Learning Communities, and BASIS Independent Schools. LePort Montessori, acquired in 2018, operated Montessori schools in Southern California and gave the group a more clearly defined Montessori offering. The same year, SEG expanded its portfolio through the purchase of more than 200 schools and campuses associated with brands including Chesterbrook Academy, Merryhill School, Discovery Isle Child Development Center, Enchanted Care Learning Center, Camelback Desert School, Southern Highlands Preparatory School, and The Honor Roll School. These transactions created a multi-brand network in which individual schools could retain their established names and local programs while sharing ownership within a larger corporate structure. In 2019, SEG purchased BASIS Independent Schools. BASIS Independent operated schools from preschool through twelfth grade and was known for an academically rigorous positioning. The acquisition strengthened SEG’s presence in the college-preparatory and high-achievement private-school segment. It also brought ownership questions into public discussion: a group of 190 BASIS parents sent a letter expressing concern about ownership by a China-based private-equity firm. The group’s majority ownership has been associated with Primavera Capital Group and investment funds administered by Primavera Holdings Limited. Primavera is principally based in Hong Kong and has operations in several markets, including the United States, China, and Singapore. The ownership structure became particularly contentious in Florida in 2023, when the state ended voucher-program eligibility for four private schools owned by SEG. The stated concerns involved the relationship with Primavera and its chairman, Fred Hu; Hu denied that he was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. The COVID-19 pandemic created a separate operational challenge. In March 2020, Touchstone Preschool in Hillsboro, Oregon, temporarily closed after a worker tested positive, with deep cleaning and a planned two-week closure. A Merryhill preschool in Modesto, California, later closed permanently after decades of operation, with pandemic-related shutdowns worsening its financial difficulties. The disruptions also affected SEG’s credit outlook: Moody’s moved the outlook from stable to negative before restoring it to stable in November 2020. SEG continues to operate a broad U.S. network of early-childhood centers, Montessori schools, private K–12 campuses, and online education services. Accreditation and recognition vary by school, with affiliations or accreditation from organizations such as Cognia, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children reported across the network. In 2025, several affiliated schools received strong ratings from Niche, and students from BASIS Independent Schools were identified as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
- 2025
Affiliated schools receive academic recognition
[1]Several schools in the network receive strong Niche ratings, while nine BASIS Independent students are recognized as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
- 2023
Florida voucher eligibility is withdrawn for four schools
[1]Florida removes four SEG-owned private schools from a voucher program amid scrutiny of their investment ownership.
- 2020
Pandemic disruption affects operations
[1]Temporary closures, a permanent Merryhill campus closure, and a negative Moody’s credit outlook reflect the operational effects of COVID-19.
- 2019
BASIS Independent Schools joins the group
[1]The acquisition brings a preschool-through-high-school, academically rigorous school network into SEG’s portfolio.
- 2018
LePort Montessori is acquired
[1]SEG adds LePort Montessori’s Southern California preschool-through-eighth-grade schools to its network.
- 2018
Regional school brands are added
[1]SEG expands through a large acquisition involving brands such as Chesterbrook Academy, Merryhill School, Discovery Isle, and Enchanted Care.
- 2017
Spring Education Group begins consolidation
[1]SEG is formed through the combination of major private-school operators, including Stratford School and Nobel Learning Communities.
- 2015
Nobel Learning Communities changes investment ownership
[1]Investcorp and Bahrain’s Mumtalakat Holding Company acquire Nobel Learning Communities from Leeds Equity Partners.
- 1983
Nobel Learning Communities is founded
[1]Nobel Learning Communities, later incorporated into the Spring Education Group platform, begins building a private education network serving children from early childhood through high school.
Products and positioning
A multi-brand private education platform serving children from early childhood through high school through campus-based, Montessori, college-preparatory, and online programs.
Early education
Early-childhood education centers
SEG operates preschool and child-development centers serving infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. These programs combine supervised care with early learning, developmental activities, and preparation for elementary school. Examples within the wider portfolio include Chesterbrook Academy, Merryhill School, Discovery Isle Child Development Center, Enchanted Care Learning Center, and other local campus brands.
Private K–8 education
Stratford School
Stratford School is a California-based private-school brand serving students from preschool through eighth grade. It is one of the principal legacy operators incorporated into SEG and provides a structured campus-based education model spanning early learning, elementary school, and middle school.
Montessori education · 2018
LePort Montessori
LePort Montessori provides Montessori-oriented education in Southern California for children from preschool through the elementary and middle-school years. Its addition gave SEG a specialized instructional brand based on Montessori classrooms and methods rather than a conventional private-school curriculum.
Private K–12 education · 2019
BASIS Independent Schools
BASIS Independent Schools operate academically rigorous private schools spanning preschool through twelfth grade. The brand is positioned around demanding coursework and strong academic outcomes, and its acquisition broadened SEG’s reach into the college-preparatory segment.
Online education
Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs School is an online education offering associated with Spring Education Group. It extends the group’s services beyond physical campuses and supports students seeking a remote or flexible private-school pathway.
Controversies
2023
Florida voucher-program ownership controversy
Florida ended voucher-program eligibility for four Spring Education Group-owned private schools after raising concerns about their ownership by Primavera Capital Group and the background of its chairman, Fred Hu. Hu denied membership in the Chinese Communist Party.
2019
Spring Education agrees to settlement over disability discrimination allegations
Spring Education agreed to pay $18,000 to a girl and her family and a $30,000 civil penalty to the United States, and to change its potty-training policy, under a settlement following a federal lawsuit alleging disability discrimination related to a child's expulsion from a preschool it operated. The settlement was announced by the U.S. Attorney; the article does not report a court finding of liability.
Brand decisions
2023
Florida voucher eligibility is withdrawn for four schoolsOtherBackground
Florida officials scrutinized the investment ownership of four private schools participating in the state’s voucher system.
Action taken
The state terminated those schools’ eligibility for the voucher program.
Aftermath
The decision intensified public scrutiny of SEG’s relationship with Primavera Capital Group and its investment leadership.
2020
Temporary pandemic closures and campus continuity measuresStrategyBackground
COVID-19 cases and public-health restrictions disrupted operations across the private-school and early-childhood sectors.
Action taken
SEG temporarily closed affected facilities, including Touchstone Preschool in Oregon, and carried out deep-cleaning measures. Pandemic conditions also contributed to the permanent closure of a Merryhill preschool in California.
Aftermath
The disruption contributed to financial pressure and a negative Moody’s credit outlook, which returned to stable in November 2020.
Recent events
Reported
Spring Education agrees to settlement over disability discrimination allegations[3]
Spring Education agreed to pay $18,000 to a girl and her family and a $30,000 civil penalty to the United States, and to change its potty-training policy, under a settlement following a federal lawsuit alleging disability discrimination related to a child’s expulsion from a preschool it operated. The settlement was announced by the U.S. Attorney; the article does not report a court finding of liability.
Sources3 sources
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