Primrose Schools, the leader in high-quality early education and care, celebrates the opening of its 500th school with a look back at the achievements of the students, teachers, franchise owners and community partners supporting its mission to forge a path that leads to a brighter future for all children. The 500th milestone opening is the culmination of a year of significant growth which included the opening of 20 new schools in 2023. The company’s national expansion continues with 180 schools in the overall pipeline in urban metros like Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C., among other major cities.
“From our first franchise to now 500 locations, Primrose Schools has never wavered from our commitment to service excellence and innovation,” remarked Jo Kirchner, CEO of Primrose Schools. “With the help of dedicated staff, teachers and franchise owners, Primrose Schools has inspired a lifelong love of learning and student achievement through our award-winning curriculum designed to nurture resourcefulness, creativity and curiosity. We are continually enhancing our research-informed curriculum and evolving our franchise model to adapt seamlessly into communities with a critical need for high-quality early education and care.”
In addition to its growing footprint, the milestone opening underscores the company’s 41 years of leadership in early education. Primrose Schools prioritizes purposeful play while integrating STEAM-based activities (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) into young children’s everyday experiences. As a result, Primrose students graduate with both the skills and confidence needed for academic success. In the 2022-2023 school year, 95% of Primrose Pre-K students assessed in a representative sample demonstrated kindergarten readiness by mastering key academic and social-emotional concepts, as measured by the Bracken School Readiness Assessment 4.
Primrose Schools has partnered with franchise owners across 34 states to deliver its time-tested curriculum to children and families. While these owners come from a variety of backgrounds, they all share a common interest in seeding the future of their communities through high-quality early learning experiences that lead to the right foundation for continual learning in life. Here are just a few of their stories:
Amy James and Susan Davis started their careers as Infant Teachers at the Primrose School of Cool Springs, and they were so intrigued with the curriculum and the fun, loving atmosphere Primrose provided that they decided to open their own location. These teacher-turned-owners continue to see the lifelong benefits early education provides to children in order to build a strong foundation and they are now the franchise owners of three Primrose Schools, Primrose School of Nashville Midtown, Primrose School of Brentwood, and Primrose School of Nashville 12 South.
Matt and Anne Evers began their Primrose journey when they were seeking the best child care option for their first son – and they found it at Primrose. They were so amazed by the exceptional level of care and curriculum that they became franchise owners themselves. The Evers ensure every child who attends their schools is treated like family. Matt and Anne are the franchise owners of Primrose School of Greatwood, Primrose School of Atascocita, Primrose School at Crossroads Park, Primrose School of Copperfield, and Primrose School at Balmoral.
Bejal and Mohit Patel were determined to have a legacy of providing high-quality early education to their local community. They are both passionate about providing an environment that fosters all aspects of a students’ development and were impressed by the Primrose Schools time-tested curriculum and proven business model of franchise ownership. The Patels are franchise owners of Primrose School of Mt. Juliet, Primrose School of Bothell and the Primrose School of Evergreen which is located within a unique mixed-use development built on nearly 15 acres of the former Mirassou Winery in San Jose, CA. The winery was built in 1924 in Mediterranean Revival architectural style, which was preserved in the school’s design.
Keisha and Raul Perez experienced difficulties finding the right child care for their two children, and that inspired them to partner with Primrose Schools to open the Primrose School of Tewksbury in their hometown of Tewksbury, MA. They continue to tout their commitment to a life-changing early learning experiences for local children and their families, and believe every child represents the promise of a better tomorrow.
“When you think of what makes a community thrive, it’s the complete experience – there’s attractive housing options, booming job opportunities, exciting retailers and restaurants, as well as top-notch schools and child care,” said Nick Koros, Chief Development Officer of Primrose Schools. “As we set our sights on the next milestone, I look forward to bringing this vision to life with the continued help of passionate real estate partners and franchise owners.”
Thanks to its flexible site requirements that fit harmoniously within office, retail and mixed-use developments as well as residential neighborhoods, Primrose has continued to see growing interest in development. The demand has been especially high in hard to capture urban markets where the need for early education is soaring.
Learn more about real estate or franchise opportunities with Primrose Schools.