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Publishing for the PreK-12 Market, 2026-2027

Publisher Simba Information – Reports
Published Sep 11, 2026
Length 109 Pages
SKU # CURP21569696

Description

The U.S. PreK-12 instructional materials market totaled $13.07 billion in 2025, rising 1.4% from 2024. Sales are forecast to increase at a 1.45% compound annual growth rate from 2025 through 2028, reaching $13.64 billion. Digital supplements and classroom assessments outperformed the overall market in 2025 and are forecast to continue doing so through 2028, while several print and standalone media categories are expected to decline. Enrollment declines, budget uncertainty, adoption delays, state policy differences, and more selective district purchasing are shaping the outlook.

This report analyzes the US market for PreK-12 instructional materials and the demographic, policy, budget, technology, and competitive forces influencing demand. It includes market size and recent performance, forecasts through 2028, print and digital format trends, enrollment and demographic indicators, federal and state policy and funding conditions, vendor financial benchmarks, M&A and investment activity, and short-, medium-, and long-term strategic considerations.

Sales by product are presented for 10 segments: basal curriculum, courseware, state-level tests, manipulatives, digital supplements, print supplements, trade books, video, classroom magazines, and classroom assessments. The report also examines the shift toward integrated offerings that connect curriculum, assessment, data, professional development, and teacher supports.

Scope of the Report

This report analyzes the scope, size, growth, and competitive environment of the U.S. PreK-12 instructional materials market. It sizes and forecasts 10 product segments—basal curriculum, courseware, state-level tests, manipulatives, digital supplements, print supplements, trade books, video, classroom magazines, and classroom assessments—and examines the print/digital mix, enrollment and demographic demand drivers, federal and state policy and budgets, adoption dynamics, vendor financial performance, M&A and investment activity, and the market's structural risks and areas of relative opportunity. Market sales are presented in US dollars, with actual sales through 2025 and forecasts through 2028; selected enrollment and demographic series extend beyond that period.

Table of Contents

109 Pages
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER 1. PREK-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL MARKET OVERVIEW
1.1 Market Scope and Definitions
1.2 Total Market Size and Recent Performance
Total Sales of PreK-12 Instructional Materials
1.3 Sales by Product Segment
Table 1-1. Sales of Instructional Materials into PreK-12 Schools by Segment, 2024–2025 (million dollars)
Print Versus Digital Mix
Table 1-2. Share of Instructional Materials, Prints vs. Digital, 2020–2025 (percent)
Figure 1-1. Requirements for and Use of Digital and Print Materials in the Classroom, 2024–2025 School Year (percent)
1.4 Market Forecasts and Outlook
Segment-Level Growth Expectations
Table 1-3. Forecast Sales of Instructional Materials Into PreK-12 Schools by Segment, 2025–2028 (million dollars)
Table 1-4. Market Share, Forecast Sales of Instructional Materials into PreK-12 Schools by Segment, 2025–2028 (percent)
Balance of Digital Versus Print Formats
Table 1-5. Forecast Share of Instructional Materials, Print vs. Digital, 2025–2028 (percent)
1.5 Summary of Market Implications
CHAPTER 2. ENROLLMENT AND DEMOGRAPHIC DRIVERS OF DEMAND
2.1 National Enrollment Trends
Historical Enrollment Patterns
Figure 2-1. K-12 School Enrollment Forecast By Type of School, 2018–2025, 2030 (million students)
2.2 Enrollment by Grade Band
Table 2-1. Enrollment in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by Level and Grade, Fall 2019 to Fall 2024 (thousand students)
Future Projections by Grade Band
Table 2-2. Projected Enrollments, Grades PreK-8 and 9-12, Fall 2023–Fall 2026, Fall 2031 (number of students)
A Closer Look at Early Education Enrollments
Figure 2-2. Percent of Population Enrolled in State-Funded Preschool, 2002–2025
2.3 Enrollment by School Type
Figure 2-3. School Enrollment Trends, 2016–2017 to 2023–2024 (percent)
Charter Schools
Figure 2-4. Charter Schools: Students Enrolled and School Count, 1992-93 to 2023-24 (number of students)
Private Schools
Homeschooling and Microschooling
Figure 2-5. Growth of Homeschooling in the United States 1970–2025 (thousand home educated)
Virtual Schools
2.4 Demographic Composition of the Student Population
Shifts in Enrollments by Race and Ethnicity
Table 2-3. Public PreK-12 Enrollments by Race/Ethnicity, 2012–2022 (thousands)
Table 2-4. Public PreK-12 Enrollments by Race/Ethnicity, 2012–2022 (percent)
English Learners: Spanish-Dominated, But Diverse
Figure 2-6. Number and percentage distribution of English learners (ELs) in public schools and number of ELs as a percentage of total public school enrollment, by the 10 most commonly reported home languages of ELs, Fall 2021
Students with Disabilities
Table 2-5. Number of children served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by age group and state or jurisdiction, Selected school years, 2000-01 through 2022-23
Poverty and Title I Participation
Table 2-6. Number and percentage of students participating in Title I, Part A programs, 2020–2021
Figure 2-7. Percentage of School-Age Children in Families in Poverty, by School District, 2024
2.5 Population and Birth Rate Trends
Table 2-7. Projected Population by Age Group by Age, 2022, 2025, 2030, 2035 (thousands)
Fertility and Birth Rate Trends
Figure 2-8. Live Births and General Fertility Rates, US, 1930–2021 (millions of births)
The Role of Immigration
2.6 Implications for Instructional Demand
CHAPTER 3. POLICY AND BUDGET ENVIRONMENT
3.1 Federal Education Funding Landscape
Potential Budget Cuts Ahead
Table 3-1. Key Programs and Changes in Trump Administration's Fiscal 2027 Education Budget Proposal
Additional Department of Education Cuts
The Future: Restructuring As a Step Toward Elimination
3.2 State and District Budget Conditions
Table 3-2. Elementary & Secondary Education by Funding Source, FY 2025
Table 3-3. Elementary & Secondary Education Spending Changes, 2024–2025 (percent change)
Costs on the Rise
Money is Tight, But Needs Are as Intense as Ever
Table 3-4. State Education Priorities from 2026 State of the State Addresses
ESSER Wind-Down Impacts
Fiscal Stress Indicators
3.3 Policy Volatility and Regulatory Pressure
DEI-Related Policy Shifts
State and Local Impacts
Religion in Schools
Figure 3-1. Percentage of Adults Who Favor Religious Expression in Public Schools, by Type of Expression
Book Bans More Organized
Table 3-5. Book Bans in US Schools
Immigration Policy Impacts
School Choice Expansion
Legal and Compliance Uncertainty
3.4 Academic Policy Priorities
Literacy and Math Initiatives
Figure 3-2. NAEP Results, Selected Years, 1971–2025
Reading Programs Established, Now Moving on to Math
Science and Social Studies: Taking a Back Seat
Afterschool Programs: Beyond the Budget
Figure 3-3. Concerns About After School Programs' Sustainability, 2020–2025
Students with Disabilities
Career and Technical Education
Table 3-6. Number and Percentage of Students Taking at Least One CTE Course, by Race/Ethnicity, 2019–2020 to 2023–2024
Assessment Policies
AI and Technology Governance
AI Usage Grows in the Classroom
Table 3-7. AI Usage in Families, by Type of Community and Household Income, 2024-2025 School Year (percent)
Table 3-8. Districts' Approaches to AI Usage by Year, 2024–2026 (percent)
Views on AI
Figure 3-4. Top State Agency Technology Priorities, 2025 vs. 2024
Evolving Best Practices
Tech Topics in the Curriculum
3.5 Non-Academic Policy Factors
Teacher Shortages and Workforce Issues
Student Safety, Behavior, and Mental Health
Chronic Absenteeism
Figure 3-5. Distribution of Chronic Absence Levels, 2017–2018 to 2024-2025 (percent)
Mental Health
Safety Concerns
Figure 3-6. School Shooting Incidents, 1965–2025
Figure 3-7. LGBTQ+ Students Experiences in K-12 Schools, 2025
Technology Access and Infrastructure
Cell Phone and Device Bans
Cybersecurity
Figure 3-8. Number of Ransomware Attacks on the Education Sector, by Quarter, 2024–2025
The End of E-Rate?
Implications for Purchasing Decisions
CHAPTER 4. COMPETITIVE AND VENDOR LANDSCAPE
4.1 Operating Environment for Vendors
4.2 Company Profiles and Strategic Responses
Boxlight
Cambium Learning Group
Cengage Learning
Discovery Education
Goodheart-Willcox
HMH
McGraw Hill
Pearson
PowerSchool
Renaissance Learning
Savvas Learning
Scholastic
Stride
4.3 Financial Performance and Benchmarks
Financial Performance
Table 4-1. Simba Information's PreK-12 Performance Index, Latest Fiscal Year
Stock Trends
Table 4-2. Stock Performance of Selected Public Companies Active in the PreK-12 Instructional Materials Market
Digital Transition
Table 4-3. Digital Products and Services as Share of Selected PreK-12 Companies' Revenue
4.4 M&A and Investment Activity
Figure 4-1. Investment Transaction Volume by Education Industry Market Segment, January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025 (number of transactions)
Mergers & Acquisitions Slow in PreK-12 Space
Table 4-4. M&A Activity Involving Suppliers of PreK-12 Educational Solutions, January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
Private Equity Investment Focuses on AI
Table 4-5. Selected Private Equity Investments in PreK-12 Education, January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
IPOs Ahead?
4.5 Category-Level Exposure and Opportunity
CHAPTER 5. STRATEGIC OUTLOOK FOR THE PREK-12 MARKET
5.1 Areas of Structural Risk
5.2 Areas of Relative Opportunity
5.3 Time-Horizon Considerations
Short Term
Medium Term
Long Term
5.4 Signals to Monitor

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