What is a class buyout?
A class buyout is when a school, organization, or employer purchases all available seats in a specific class section for a group of learners.
When this happens, the section is reserved for that group and is not available for general enrollment. Class buyouts are typically used by schools, organizations, or employers who want to provide a class experience for a specific learner group.
How do class buyouts work?
Class buyouts may involve either:
A new private section created for the group, or
An existing section designated for the buyout.
Depending on the arrangement, enrollment may be managed by Outschool or by the organization through a special admin account. In either case, billing, enrollment, and learner records are handled through Outschool.
Once learners are enrolled, they will appear on the educator’s Outschool roster.
How might educators be involved in a class buyout?
Educators may be contacted about a potential class buyout if their class is a good fit for a school, organization, or employer.
This contact may come from:
An Outschool team member, or
A school, organization, or employer through Outschool messaging.
If contacted, educators may be asked about availability, scheduling options, class capacity, or whether small adjustments to the class would be possible. Educators are not required to accept a buyout request if it does not work for their schedule, class format, or teaching preferences.
What types of adjustments may be requested in a class buyout?
Some buyouts may use the class as originally listed. Others may include requests such as:
A specific meeting time
A different class length
A specific age range
A private section for the group
Minor adjustments to examples, pacing, or focus areas
Small adjustments are common, but educators are not expected to create a new curriculum unless they choose to do so.
What are the communication and payment rules for class buyouts?
All communication and payments related to a class buyout must remain on Outschool. Educators should not arrange off-platform payment or move planning conversations outside of Outschool.
How are parents' requests for a private group class different than a class buyout?
A private group request from a parent is not the same as a class buyout request from a school, organization, or employer.
For parent private group requests, educators may create a private section and share its link with the organizer so families can enroll through Outschool. For payment, the parent has the option to send Outschool gift cards to the learner's family.
Need help with a class buyout?
If an educator is already working with an Outschool team member on a potential buyout, they should contact that team member directly.
If an educator receives a buyout-related request from a school, organization, or employer, they can share the Buyout Information Request form.
If an educator needs help understanding the request, they can contact Outschool Support.