MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA – April 6, 2016. Frontline Technologies has acquired Centris Group, a top provider of special education administrative software and professional development offerings. Frontline Technologies is a leading K-12 education software company currently serving more than 7,500 school districts nationwide with professional growth and human resources solutions.
“Frontline’s goal is to bring together all of the tools necessary to serve the education community on a daily basis,” said Tim Clifford, President and CEO of Frontline Technologies. “Special education is a key component of the educational ecosystem and Centris offers a best-in-class solution for this segment. This acquisition goes a long way towards rounding out our education software portfolio and introducing our solution set to the special education market.”
Frontline has broad national reach and its deep resources will help strengthen the products, services and state-specific solutions that have set Centris apart. Frontline will retain the Centris team, gaining significant special education expertise and adding nearly 70 people to its employee base. The Centris team will work hand in hand with Frontline to advance special education solutions within the education community across the United States.
“The acquisition will allow us to expand the depth and breadth of the products and services we offer in special education,” said Thomas Reap, Psy.D, Founder of Centris Group. “Uniting these two leading organizations will provide the resources to deliver an even higher level of service to our customers and expand our suite of innovative software to create an end-to-end solution that before now has not been considered in the special education space.”
Centris products, primarily focused on the administration and management of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Response to Intervention (RTI), will continue to be supported and enhanced as part of Frontline. The focus will remain on state special education regulations, supporting best-practices, returning time to teaching and meeting the unique needs of each state. The acquisition will allow Centris’ special education administrative software, which is the leading solution in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, to expand into additional states while maintaining its unsurpassed customer service levels.
Frontline and Centris already serve many of the same districts, with 84% customer overlap in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, which allows for greater understanding of the intricacies and nuances of each state. Both organizations are also committed to the ongoing support and growth of partnerships in the administrative solutions arena. Frontline currently integrates with over 180 K-12 administrative software providers. Solutions from both companies support more than 200 vendor relationships.
GSV Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor to Centris Group in this transaction.
About Frontline Technologies
Frontline Technologies provides cloud-based K-12 software that empowers more than 7,500 school districts and millions of educators to positively impact student learning. From recruiting, hiring and absence management, to professional learning and evaluation, Frontline partners with the education community to support the entire educator lifecycle. Built on a foundation of best practices, Frontline gives organizations the tools to focus on data-driven decisions, collaboration, meaningful growth and application to classroom practice. The company was recently named a Stevie Awards 2016 Customer Service Department of the Year and has a customer retention rate of 97% across all products. Frontline Technologies corporate headquarters are located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with offices in San Francisco and Chicago.
About Centris Group
Centris Group provides special education software and subject matter expertise to support special education professionals in achieving program compliance, best-practices, and efficiency. Centris develops truly state-specific software that is designed from the practitioner’s perspective and employs leading-edge technology. The comprehensive suite of Centris education solutions includes management systems for special education, response to intervention, 504 accommodation plans, and school-based Medicaid billing. Centris also provides professional development and modules for special education document management, special education document translation services, and seamless integration with other K-12 student information systems. The company has a 99.8% retention rate and 95% customer satisfaction rating.