Stride adds two directors and forms capital allocation committee

Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN) announced it will appoint two new members to its board of directors and establish a Capital Allocation Committee, according to a press release issued Oct. 9, 2026.

Steven Guttentag, who most recently served as chief executive of EPS Learning, and Dylan Haggart, founder and chief investment officer of Fivespan Partners, LP, will join the board this quarter. Fivespan is described as a significant shareholder of Stride.

The newly formed Capital Allocation Committee will be co-chaired by independent directors Brian Shepherd and Dylan Haggart. The committee's initial review, expected to conclude within three months, will include soliciting shareholder input on capital allocation priorities. Following the review, Stride said it will publicly announce a target capital structure and a framework for allocating future cash flows.

Guttentag brings more than 30 years of experience in K-12 education and education technology. He previously co-founded Connections Education, which was acquired by Pearson in 2011, and later served as president of Pearson Online & Blended Learning, growing the business to serve over 70,000 students.

Haggart founded Fivespan in 2023 after spending a decade as a partner at ValueAct Capital. He has served as an independent director of Seagate Technology since 2018 and previously served on the board of Fiserv from 2022 to 2024.

In connection with the appointments, Stride entered into a cooperation agreement with Fivespan, which will be filed on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Stride's 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2026.

Board chairman Steven B. Fink said the two appointees bring "complementary perspectives and experience" to support the company's strategic direction under chief executive Bob Knowling.

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