Brand Dossier

Ivybrook Academy

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Ivybrook Academy costs $643,400 to $1,174,500 to open (2025 FDD Item 7), with a 7% royalty plus 2% ad fund (9% total ongoing). Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure and Term & Exit Terms, Strength on Unit Economics and Operator Validation, In Line on Litigation History. Independent analysis, no commissions, no franchisor revenue.
Rank #429 on Entrepreneur 2026Children's BusinessesFDD issued 2025
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 for Item 19; year-end 2025 for Item 20.
About the Brand

About Ivybrook Academy

Ivybrook Franchising, LLC franchises Ivybrook Academy, a comprehensive preschool offering a half-day pre-school program for learning, enrichment, and socialization as an alternative to full-day childcare, with an option to also offer private kindergarten courses. The franchisor has offered Ivybrook Academy franchises since 2015 and requires each School to become accredited by NAEYC after two years of operation, as well as by the Better Business Bureau. Franchisees compete with other Ivybrook Academy locations, private preschools, Montessori schools, church-based preschools, private kindergartens, and childcare centers, including both national and regional chains and local operations.

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$643,400 to $1,174,500
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$50,000
Development fee: Multi-unit development requires a $20,000 development deposit for each franchised business after the first School; franchise fee schedule is $50,000 for the first school, $40,000 for the second, and $30,000 for the third and each additional school.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
9%
9% of Gross Revenue paid to the franchisor: 7% royalty + 2% Brand Development Fund Contribution (rose from 1% on 1/1/2026). Plus a separate required Local Marketing Expenditure of at least 1% of Gross Revenue, self-spent with third parties.
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Disclosed (no combined average)
2025 gross revenue for franchised Ivybrook Academy schools open at least 24 months and 36 months.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 0 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $50,000. FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee Multi-unit development requires a $20,000 development deposit for each franchised business after the first School; franchise fee schedule is $50,000 for the first school, $40,000 for the second, and $30,000 for the third and each additional school. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 7% of Gross Revenue. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $643,400 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $1,174,500 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Yes: Average Unit Metric $933,598 / Median Unit Metric $852,482 FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 49 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 1 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +9 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Ivybrook has a large school buildout and 10% current percentage fee burden.

Unit Economics
Strength
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

The franchisor discloses real historical revenue grouped by how long a school has operated, which separates a mature school from a new one, and it reports high, low, and median. That tenure grouping gives a buyer a realistic target rather than a blended average.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

Source-reviewed FDD Item 3 discloses 0 actions. The legal-context read remains locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Strength
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Ivybrook grew to 50 total outlets in 2025.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Ivybrook has a 15-year term, two 10-year renewals, and owner/operator participation rules.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Ivybrook Academy has Unit Economics data in Item 19, but it does not provide one standard combined unit figure for Free to display. The disclosed cohorts, tiers, ranges, coverage, and read are included in Pro.

Disclosed (no combined average)

The disclosed cohorts, tiers, ranges, coverage, and read are included in Pro. No combined figure is invented or exposed on Free.

What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Detail Locked
Pro reveals the filing's actual disclosure shape, coverage, ranges, and the Zorzee read without inventing a combined unit average.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
50
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Franchised
49
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
1
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+9
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
34
2023
41
2024
50
2025

Ivybrook Academy trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

0 actions disclosed in source-reviewed FDD Item 3.

Source Status
Item 3 litigation detail not yet sourced
Not yet sourced. No zero-action conclusion has been loaded for this brand.
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters long before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Ivybrook Academy: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Ivybrook Academy costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
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  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
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FAQ

Ivybrook Academy Franchise Questions, Answered

How much does a Ivybrook Academy franchise cost?

A Ivybrook Academy franchise costs $643,400 to $1,174,500 to open, disclosed in FDD Item 7 of the 2025 filing, covering the franchise fee, buildout, equipment, and working capital to breakeven. No commissions, no franchisor revenue, independent analysis only.

What are the royalty and fees for Ivybrook Academy?

Ivybrook Academy charges a 7% royalty plus a 2% brand and ad fund, a 9% total ongoing fee burden, disclosed in FDD Item 6.

What does Ivybrook Academy disclose in FDD Item 19?

Item 19 for Ivybrook Academy includes a unit sales or revenue metric. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee reads the full metric and what it excludes in the Pro dossier.

Does Ivybrook Academy have any lawsuits or litigation?

Ivybrook Academy's FDD Item 3 discloses no legal actions in the 2025 filing.

Is Ivybrook Academy a good franchise investment?

Zorzee does not rate franchises good or bad; it reports what the filing discloses so you can judge fit. Ivybrook Academy shows Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure and Term & Exit Terms, Strength on Unit Economics and Operator Validation, In Line on Litigation History. Whether it fits depends on your capital, your market, and your operating style. Independent analysis, no franchisor revenue.