In its fourth acquisition in under a year, Malvern’s Frontline Education has purchased Excent, which provides software solutions for the oversight of programs for specialized education, writes Michelle Caffrey for Philadelphia Business Journal.

Excent is the second investment the company has made in special education-focused companies this year after buying Centris Group in January. This latest acquisition means Frontline now serves over 8,500 educational organizations, half the market nationwide.

Tim Clifford, Frontline Education’s CEO, said that this acquisition will add-to its expertise in the fast-growing special education sector.

“This was an area that really fits well into our focus which is essentially to provide software solutions to help districts run a more efficient, effective district,” noted Clifford.

Formulating an education plan for student with special needs involves getting a number of stakeholders, such as parents, paraprofessionals, and administrators on the same page. Excent’s technology is specifically designed to streamline that process and simplify all aspects of the plan while complying with federal requirements.

Around 13 percent of the country’s student population receives special education services and Clifford said the costs of providing the proper educational accommodations can account for up to a quarter of a district’s budget.

“That’s a good thing, devoting that many dollars to kids in need, but managing all of this has become very unwieldy for schools” commented Clifford. “We identified it as a big growth area for us, and as a company it’s something we can dedicate our software expertise to.”

Read more about this acquisition at Philadelphia Business Journal here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of Frontline Education here.