Primrose Schools is an American franchise network of accredited private preschools providing early childhood education and child care for children from infancy through kindergarten age, with some locations offering after-school programs for children up to age 12. Founded in 1982 in Marietta, Georgia, the company operates more than 530 franchised locations across 34 states and Washington, D.C.[1][2] Primrose schools are independently owned and operated by franchise owners.[3]
History
Founding and franchising
Primrose Schools was established by Paul and Marcy Erwin in 1982 as a single preschool in Marietta, Georgia. Marcy Erwin developed the school's educational approach drawing on Montessori-style child-initiated learning combined with teacher-led curriculum.[1] The company expanded to three half-day preschools before converting to a full-day education and child care model in 1988, and it awarded its first franchise license in 1990.[1] Jo Kirchner, who joined the company in 1990 as vice president, became president and CEO in 1999 and led the company's expansion from a handful of locations in the Atlanta area to a national franchise system.[2]
Ownership
In June 2008, Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group acquired Primrose Schools. At the time of the acquisition, the company operated 182 franchise locations generating approximately $275 million in system-wide revenue.[4]
In May 2024, Reuters reported that Roark was exploring a sale of Primrose Schools at a valuation of approximately $2 billion including debt, with R.W. Baird engaged to manage the process.[3]
Curriculum and approach
Primrose schools use the company's proprietary Balanced Learning curriculum, which combines teacher-guided instruction with child-initiated play.[1] The curriculum draws on research in child development and places emphasis on character education alongside academic readiness.[1]
All Primrose locations are required to maintain accreditation from Cognia, a quality-assurance organization for educational institutions. Primrose was the first early childhood education franchise to achieve system-wide accreditation through Cognia's predecessor organization, AdvancED.[5]
Social responsibility
In 2005, Primrose established the Primrose Children's Foundation, a nonprofit organization that coordinates fundraising across the franchise network to support child advocacy and literacy programs.[6] Early partners included Reach Out and Read, to which the foundation donated more than $1.4 million by 2014.[7] In 2014, the company announced a partnership with Save the Children focused on sponsoring at-risk children in underserved communities in the United States.[6]
References
- Karsten Strauss. How Primrose Schools Entered the Franchising of Early Education Forbes, 2018-06-01, retrieved 2026-01-08^
- Atlanta-based Primrose CEO puts early education focus on 'skills of the future' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2025-09-25, retrieved 2026-02-13^
- Abigail Summerville. Buyout firm Roark explores sale of Primrose Schools, sources say Reuters, 2024-05-16, retrieved 2026-02-13^
- Roark Capital Group Acquires Primrose Schools Roark Capital Group, 2008-06-16, retrieved 2026-02-13^
- AdvancED, Primrose Schools Raise Bar for Early Childhood Education with New Accreditation Standards PR Newswire, 2012-02-08, retrieved 2026-01-08^
- Primrose Schools and Save the Children Partner for America's Children PR Newswire, 2014-09-05, retrieved 2026-02-13^
- Primrose Schools Reports Record-Breaking Fundraising Year WTVG 13ABC, 2014-12-15, retrieved 2015-02-24^