PowerSchool to acquire SchoolMessenger in $300m deal to enhance K-12 education communication

PowerSchool, a provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, is set to acquire SchoolMessenger, a provider of K-12 communication tools.

The definitive agreement, reported to be valued at $300 million, is an effort to boost PowerSchool’s commitment to personalized education and enhance family engagement in student success.

The merger will integrate SchoolMessenger’s trusted communication platform into PowerSchool’s existing services, promising a unified communication experience. This will enable schools and districts to provide parents with reliable mass communication, emergency messaging, and two-way communication capabilities for timely updates on a variety of topics.

The inclusion of SchoolMessenger into PowerSchool’s Student Information Cloud means schools will have centralized access to a versatile communication tool. This will not only cover voice, text, email, and social media messaging but also automatic translations for over 100 languages. The system’s tested and proven platform integrates with over 130 established systems, allowing the support of emergency alerts, paperless permission forms and waivers, all through a user-friendly interface.

Further benefits of the acquisition will be enjoyed by existing customers and partners of SchoolMessenger, as the deal will spur increased investment and development in their platform, and deepen its integration with PowerSchool’s award-winning solutions.

Chris Johnson — SchoolMessenger Senior Vice President and GM said: “PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger have a shared mission to support educators, students, and their families with industry-leading technology.

“PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger have an ongoing partnership and we are pleased that SchoolMessenger customers will have an excellent home at PowerSchool.”

PowerSchool has confirmed its purchase agreement to acquire SchoolMessenger from parent company West Technology Group will be funded primarily with cash on hand and existing credit facilities.

Hardeep Gulati — PowerSchool CEO said: “The acquisition of SchoolMessenger is a key step in empowering more students and educators around the world to realize their full potential.

“We understand how critical family communication is to identifying student needs, improving attendance, and driving stronger student outcomes, and see tremendous opportunity to add value to our 15,000+ customers with the integration of SchoolMessenger into our Student Information Cloud.”

Subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023. Until then, PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger will continue to operate independently, maintaining business as usual.