Scholar Education has raised $2 million in a seed round to develop Scholar Health, a service designed to shorten the time and lower the cost of special education evaluations while connecting evaluation results directly with the support a student receives at school.
OneSixOne Ventures joined other technology investors, strategic industry partners and existing shareholders in the round, the Tampa-based company said. Scholar plans to use the funds largely to build Scholar Health, add clinical and educational support, advance product development and form partnerships as it expands throughout Florida and into other markets.
Scholar Education expands into Scholar Health
Scholar says families can currently wait 12 to 18 months and spend between $3,500 and $5,000 to get a child evaluated. Scholar Health is being built to cut that wait from months to weeks, lower what families pay and connect evaluation results directly with the help a student receives at school. “What started in the classroom for us is now growing to help the families waiting months, spending thousands of dollars to get help, and also ensuring schools and teachers have the tools they need to provide the best support for students,” founder and CEO Ed Buckley said.
The company also says it is pairing licensed psychologists with artificial intelligence to shorten the time and lower the cost of evaluating students for special education services.
Platform, reach and classroom tools
Scholar already says its technology reaches more than 20,000 teachers and students through BaxterBot, its student-facing digital assistant, and PAWfessor Bruce, the teacher-facing side of the platform. BaxterBot adjusts material to a student’s reading level and learning profile while delivering accommodations during the school day, and PAWfessor Bruce helps teachers plan lessons, grade work and track those accommodations.
“Special education remains one of the most fragmented systems families have to navigate,” co-founder and President Marlee Strawn said.
