Stride, Inc. (LRN)

Item 2.     Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

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Certain statements in Management’s Discussion and Analysis or MD&A, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Historical results may not indicate future performance. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events, are based on assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Factors that may cause differences between actual results and those contemplated by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K  for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, which we refer to as our Annual Report, and those referenced in our other SEC filings, including in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including any changes that might result from any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

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This MD&A is intended to assist in understanding and assessing the trends and significant changes in our results of operations and financial condition. As used in this MD&A, the words, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Stride, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report, as well as the consolidated financial statements and MD&A of our Annual Report. The following overview provides a summary of the sections included in our MD&A:

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Executive Summary

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We are a technology company providing an educational platform to deliver online learning to students throughout the U.S. Our platform hosts products and services to attract, enroll, educate, track progress, and support students. These products and services, spanning curriculum, systems, instruction, and support services, are designed to help learners of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning. Our clients are primarily public and private schools, school districts, and charter boards. Additionally, we provide solutions to employers, government agencies and consumers.

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We provide a wide range of products and services across our platform with the ability to deliver customized solutions. Our comprehensive school-as-a-service offering supports our clients in operating full-time virtual schools in the K-12 market. Together with our network of online schools, Stride has served millions of students with our products and services. In our most recent academic year ended June 30, 2025, we graduated 19,045 high school students from our partner schools.

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Our platform addresses two markets in the K-12 space: General Education and Career Learning.

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General Education

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General Education products and services are predominantly focused on core subjects, including math, English, science and history, for kindergarten through twelfth grade students to help build a common foundation of knowledge. These programs provide an alternative to traditional school options and address a range of student needs. Products and services are delivered as a comprehensive school-as-a-service offering for schools or as stand-alone products and services. A student enrolled in a school that offers Stride’s General Education program may elect to take career courses, but that student and the associated revenue is reported as a General Education enrollment and General Education revenue.

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Career Learning

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Career Learning products and services are focused on developing skills to enter and succeed in careers in high-growth, in-demand industries—including information technology, healthcare and general business. We provide middle and high school students with Career Learning programs that complement their core general education coursework. Stride offers multiple career pathways through a broad catalog of courses. The middle school program exposes students to a variety of career options and introduces career skill development. In high school, students may engage in industry content pathway courses, project-based learning in virtual teams, and career development services. High school students have the opportunity to progress toward certifications, connect with industry professionals, earn college credits while in high school, and participate in job shadowing and/or work-based learning experiences that facilitate success in today’s digital, tech-enabled economy. A student is reported as a Career Learning enrollment and associated Career Learning revenue only if the student is enrolled in a Career Learning program. Like General Education products and services, the products and services for Career Learning are sold as a comprehensive school-as-a-service offering or as stand-alone products and services.

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We also provide focused post-secondary career learning programs to adult learners, for the software engineering, healthcare, and medical fields. These programs are sold directly to consumers, employers and government agencies.

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For both the General Education and Career Learning markets, the majority of revenue is derived from our comprehensive school-as-a-service offering which includes an integrated package of curriculum, technology systems, instruction, and support services that we administer on behalf of our customers. The average duration of the agreements for our school-as-a-service offering is greater than five years, and most provide for automatic renewals absent a customer notification of non-renewal.

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For the 2025-2026 school year, we provide our school-as-a-service offering to 92 schools in 31 states and the District of Columbia in the General Education market, and 57 schools or programs in 25 states in the Career Learning market.

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In 2020, we significantly expanded our Career Learning opportunity by acquiring three adult learning companies, Galvanize, Tech Elevator, and MedCerts. These Adult Learning brands deliver training in software engineering and allied healthcare to consumers and enterprises.

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We generate a significant portion of our revenues from the sale of curriculum, administration support and technology services to virtual and blended public schools. The amount of revenue generated from these contracts is impacted largely by the number of enrollments, the mix of enrollments across grades and states, state or district per student funding levels and attendance requirement, among other items.

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The two key financial metrics that we use to assess financial performance are revenues and operating income. During the nine months ended March 31, 2026, revenues increased to $1,882.0 million from $1,751.7 million in the prior year, an increase of 7.4%. Over the same period, operating income increased to $344.9 million from $303.2 million in the prior year, an increase of 13.8%. The increase in operating income was driven by revenue growth and an increase in gross margin. Additionally, we use the non-financial metric of total enrollments to assess performance, as enrollment is a key driver of our revenues. Total enrollments for the nine months ended March 31, 2026 were 246.7 thousand, an increase of 13.2 thousand, or 5.7%, over the prior year. Our revenues are subject to annual school district financial audits, which incorporate enrollment counts, funding and other routine financial audit considerations. The results from these audits and other routine changes in funding estimates are incorporated into the Company’s monthly funding estimates for the current and prior periods. Historically, aggregate funding estimates have differed from actual reimbursements, generally in the range of 2% of annual revenue or less, which may vary from quarter to quarter.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

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The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and any such differences may be material to our condensed consolidated financial statements. Critical accounting policies and estimates are disclosed in our Annual Report. There have been no significant updates to our critical accounting estimates disclosed in our Annual Report.

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Results of Operations

Lines of Revenue

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We operate in one operating and reportable business segment as a technology company providing an educational platform to deliver proprietary and third-party curriculum, software systems and educational services designed to facilitate individualized learning. The Chief Operating Decision Maker evaluates profitability based on consolidated results. We have two lines of revenue: (i) General Education and (ii) Career Learning.

Enrollment Data

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The following table sets forth total enrollment data for students in our General Education and Career Learning lines of revenue. Enrollments for General Education and Career Learning only include those students in full service public or private programs where Stride provides a combination of curriculum, technology, instructional and support services inclusive of administrative support. No enrollments are included in Career Learning for Galvanize, Tech Elevator or MedCerts. This data includes enrollments for which Stride receives no public funding or revenue.

If the mix of enrollments changes, our revenues will be impacted to the extent the average revenue per enrollment is significantly different. We do not award or permit incentive compensation to be paid to our public school program enrollment staff or contractors based on the number of students enrolled.

The following represents our current enrollment for each of the periods indicated:

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ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF    OPERATIONS

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Historical results may not indicate future performance. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events, are based on assumptions, and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Factors that may cause differences between actual results and those contemplated by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A, of this Annual Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, including any changes that might result from any facts, events, or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.

This MD&A is intended to assist in understanding and assessing the trends and significant changes in our results of operations and financial condition. As used in this MD&A, the words, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Stride, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The following overview provides a summary of the sections included in our MD&A:

Executive Summary

We are a technology company providing an educational platform to deliver online learning to students throughout the U.S. Our platform hosts products and services to attract, enroll, educate, track progress, and support students. These products and services, spanning curriculum, systems, instruction, and support services, are designed to help learners of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning. Our clients are primarily public and private schools, school districts, and charter boards. Additionally, we provide solutions to employers, government agencies and consumers.

We provide a wide range of products and services across our platform with the ability to deliver customized solutions. Our comprehensive school-as-a-service offering supports our clients in operating full-time virtual schools in the K-12 market. Together with our network of online schools, Stride has served millions of students with our products and services.

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Our platform addresses two markets in the K-12 space: General Education and Career Learning.

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General Education

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General Education products and services are predominantly focused on core subjects, including math, English, science and history, for kindergarten through twelfth grade students to help build a common foundation of knowledge. These programs provide an alternative to traditional school options and address a range of student needs. Products and services are delivered as a comprehensive school-as-a-service offering for schools or as stand-alone products and services.

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A student enrolled in a school that offers Stride’s General Education program may elect to take career courses, but that student and the associated revenue is reported as a General Education enrollment and General Education revenue.

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Career Learning

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Career Learning products and services are focused on developing skills to enter and succeed in careers in high-growth, in-demand industries—including information technology, healthcare and general business. We provide middle and high school students with Career Learning programs that complement their core general education coursework. Stride offers multiple career pathways through a broad catalog of courses. The middle school program exposes students to a variety of career options and introduces career skill development. In high school, students may engage in industry content pathway courses, project-based learning in virtual teams, and career development services. High school students have the opportunity to progress toward certifications, connect with industry professionals, earn college credits while in high school, and participate in job shadowing and/or work-based learning experiences that facilitate success in today’s digital, tech-enabled economy. A student is reported as a Career Learning enrollment and associated Career Learning revenue only if the student is enrolled in a Career Learning program. Like General Education products and services, the products and services for Career Learning are sold as a comprehensive school-as-a-service offering or as stand-alone products and services.

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We also provide focused post-secondary career learning programs to adult learners, for the software engineering, healthcare, and medical fields. These programs are sold directly to consumers, employers and government agencies.

​

For both the General Education and Career Learning markets, the majority of revenue is derived from our comprehensive school-as-a-service offering which includes an integrated package of curriculum, technology systems, instruction, and support services that we administer on behalf of our customers. The average duration of the agreements for our school-as-a-service offering is greater than five years, and most provide for automatic renewals absent a customer notification of non-renewal.

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During the 2025-2026 school year, we provided our school-as-a-service offering to 92 schools in 31 states and the District of Columbia in the General Education market, and 57 schools or programs in 25 states and the District of Columbia in the Career Learning market.

​

In 2020, we significantly expanded our Career Learning opportunity by acquiring three adult learning companies, Galvanize, Tech Elevator, and MedCerts. These Adult Learning brands deliver training in software engineering and allied healthcare to consumers and enterprises.

​

We generate a significant portion of our revenues from the sale of curriculum, administration support and technology services to virtual and blended public schools. The amount of revenue generated from these contracts is impacted largely by the number of enrollments, the mix of enrollments across grades and states, state or district per student funding levels and attendance requirements, among other items.

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The two key financial metrics that we use to assess financial performance are revenues and operating income. During the year ended June 30, 2026, revenues increased to $2,518.1 million from $2,405.3 million in the prior year, an increase of 4.7%. Over the same period, operating income increased to $450.8 million from $360.1 million in the prior year, an increase of 25.2%. The increase in operating income was driven by revenue growth and lower selling, general, and administrative expenses. Additionally, we use the non-financial metric of total enrollments to assess performance, as enrollment is a key driver of our revenues. Total enrollments for the year ended June 30, 2026 were 243.9 thousand, an increase of 9.9 thousand, or 4.2%, over the prior year. Our revenues are subject to annual school district financial audits, which incorporate enrollment counts, funding and other routine financial audit considerations. The results from these audits and other routine changes in funding estimates are incorporated into the Company’s monthly funding estimates for the current and prior periods. Historically, aggregate funding estimates have differed from actual reimbursements, generally in the range of 2% of annual revenue or less, which may vary from year to year.

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Key Aspects and Trends of Our Operations

Revenues—Overview

We generate a significant portion of our revenues from the sale of curriculum, administration support and technology services to virtual and blended public schools. We anticipate that these revenues will continue to represent the majority of our total revenues over the next several years. However, we also expect revenues in other aspects of our business to continue to increase as we execute on our growth strategy. Our growth strategy includes increasing revenues in other distribution channels, expanding our adult learning training programs, adding enrollments in our private schools, and expanding our traditional public schools sales channel. Combined revenues from these other sectors were significantly smaller than those from the virtual and blended public schools we served in the year ended June 30, 2026. Our success in executing our strategies will impact future growth. We have several sales channels from which we generate revenues that are discussed in more detail below.

Factors affecting our revenues include:

Virtual Schools

Our educational platform can be offered in an integrated package of systems, services, products, and professional expertise to support a virtual public school. Customers of these programs can obtain administrative support, information technology, academic support services, online curriculum, learning systems and instructional services under the terms of negotiated service and product agreements. These contracts are negotiated with, and approved by, the governing authorities of the customer. During any fiscal year, the Company may enter into new agreements, receive non-automatic renewal notices, negotiate replacement agreements, terminate such agreements or receive notices of termination, or customers may transition a school to a different offering. The governing boards may also establish school policies and other terms and conditions over the course of a contract, such as enrollment parameters. The authorizers who issue the charters to our school-as-a-service customers can renew, revoke, or modify those charters as well.

The majority of our revenue is derived from these school-as-a-service service agreements with the governing authorities of our public school partners. In addition to providing a comprehensive cour

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