Roper eyes U.S. teacher shortage in $3.7 billion deal for Frontline Education

(Reuters) -Roper Technologies said on Tuesday it would buy educational software maker Frontline (NYSE:FRO) Education in a $3.7 billion deal to bolster its presence in the kindergarten to 12th grade market at a time of teacher shortage in the United States.

The deal will complement Roper's "Horizon" product catering to the K12 (NYSE:LRN) segment and marks a deeper push by the company to reposition itself as a software firm through acquisitions. (https://reut.rs/3cwnlZm)

Roper is buying Frontline from technology-focused private equity firm Thoma Bravo, which acquired the company in 2017 for an undisclosed value.

Pandemic-related exhaustion and low pay have caused a teacher shortage in the United States. Education software companies are also benefiting from higher demand from school districts ramping up their investments in cloud-based software solutions after the pandemic.

"This market, like so many others, is one undergoing significant digital transformation," Roper Chief Executive Neil Hunn said on a call.

Frontline's hiring software will help school districts recruit, hire, train and develop staff, as well deal with absence or substitute teacher management, executives said.

Roper, which recently divested its legacy industrial businesses, will use cash and debt to fund the deal. The deal has a net purchase price of about $3.38 billion and is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

"We have been expecting a big deal, with public market software valuations selling down, and the divestment of the industrials businesses," Bernstein analyst Brendan Luecke said.

Frontline's management team will continue to lead from its Malvern, Pennsylvania headquarters. Its name, brands and office locations will not change, the company said.

J.P. Morgan Securities, Jefferies and Macquarie Capital served as financial advisers to Thoma Bravo and Frontline Education.