Shawn Fowler is a math guy, which may be the reason he sees another side to the budget struggles of the Lawrence school district.

What he sees is a business opportunity. Fowler is co-owner of Learning Curve, 504 Lone Tree Drive, a new Lawrence-based learning center that provides instruction in math and reading to kindergarten through eighth-grade students.

Fowler came up with the idea for the business more than two years ago when he was a public school administrator in Goddard. He said he decided to locate the business in Lawrence because of the city’s reputation as an education-oriented community.

Fowler, a former elementary and high school teacher, said he hoped the Lawrence school district and others solved their budget problems, but until then he thought businesses like his would continue to see increased demand.

“I think people are beginning to understand that if they want their children to receive the education they deserve, they’re going to have to go beyond the public school system,” Fowler said.

The business, based in a remodeled garage in Fowler’s home, creates individual learning programs in math and reading for students based on how they score on assessment tests given by Learning Curve. Fowler runs the math program, while his wife, Susan, runs the reading program.

The company has about 10 students, but Fowler said he expected to see a surge in business as the new school year approached. Fowler has been working on the business full-time since April but only recently began soliciting students.

The company charges about $30 an hour for lessons, with most programs consisting of 10 to 15 hourlong lessons. It also offers extra services, such as an all-star report card that looks like a miniature baseball card with the student’s picture on the front and statistics, like grade improvements, on the back.

Fowler said the company’s programs often used sports themes to relate the material to students. For example, Fowler said he would use the lines on a basketball court to teach students about geometry or baseball games to teach statistics.

Shawn Fowler, Lawrence, co-owner of Learning Curve, helps children in kindergarten through eighth grade with reading and math skills. Fowler likes to use sports themes to help children learn the subject matter.

Learning Curve isn’t alone in trying to tap into the Lawrence education market. The Kansas University Strategic Learning Center, 1245 N.H., is a nonprofit organization that serves between 50 and 100 students a year. Sylvan Learning Center, 4920 Legends Drive, has been in the Lawrence market for nine years.

Dave Larsen, owner of the Sylvan franchises in northeast Kansas, said Lawrence was the type of community that attracted learning centers.

“I would tell you the one thing about Lawrence is that there is a very high priority on education,” Larsen said. “People are very aware of the value of education. That is great for us because it is always nice to be in a business that is appreciated.”