The Knight SchoolFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Knight School franchise requires a total initial investment of $41K – $99K, including a $35K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $282K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $41K – $99K
- 7th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $282K
- 11th pct Education
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 28
- 41st pct Education
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 4.0x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Started franchising in 2024. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Franchised units fell from 26 to 16 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $41K – $99K including a $35K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $282K/year (median $225K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 42/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- The Knight School Franchising, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- The Knight School, LLC
- CEO title
- Owner, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer
- David Brooks, Ph.D.
- CEO experience
- 14 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- AL
- HQ
- 2612 Vestavia Forest Terrace, Birmingham, Alabama 35216
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- Most recent fiscal year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
The Knight School franchisees operate youth-focused educational or martial arts programs (typical for 'Knight' branding). Day-to-day operations include instruction/coaching, student enrollment management, facility maintenance, staff supervision, and parent communication. Revenue streams are likely class fees, memberships, or program tuition.
- CEO
- David Brooks, Ph.D.
- Headquarters
- AL
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 15
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $2K | $47K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $5K | $17K |
| Total initial investment | $41K | $99K |
Source: The Knight School 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$42K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
45%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
27 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $41K – $99K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $47K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Up to 15% of Gross Revenues
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 18.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1 |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 18.0% of rev |
At 18.0% total fee load, roughly $51K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $282K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $225K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 23 units
- vs category median 14
- Range (low → high)
- $1→$972K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is 4.0x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Education averages
How The Knight School Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 28
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.1%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +18.2%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +62.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 3.6%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 7.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
The Knight School presents moderate-to-elevated risk due to undisclosed profitability metrics, high royalty burden, small system size, and lack of earnings disclosure despite reasonable revenue figures.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 42 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed — unable to assess actual profitability despite $281,895 average revenue
- 02MINORHigh royalty rate up to 15% combined with $35,000 franchise fee creates significant ongoing cost burden
- 03MINORSmall franchise system (28 units) with modest 18.2% YoY growth raises questions about scalability and brand recognition
- 04MINORWide investment range ($41,400–$98,990) suggests inconsistent startup costs or undefined scope
- 05MINORNo Item 19 financial performance representation limits transparency on realistic earnings expectations
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 10 |
| Territory type | Zip Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Alabama |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 14 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 7 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
19 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Knight School · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Knight School franchise?
The total investment to open a The Knight School franchise ranges from $41K – $99K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Knight School franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the The Knight School FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $282K. The median is $225K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is The Knight School's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Knight School (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many The Knight School franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Knight School has 28 total units in the United States, including 26 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Knight School a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Knight School as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 42 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.