Primrose School of Overland Park, Overland Park | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

I worked in the Pre k 2 classroom from August’22-May ‘23. My experience and time at primrose was eye opening to say the least.
I decided to leave Primrose to pursue teaching elsewhere (I have my bachelors in elementary education) after I had an unfortunate and disappointing experience with management in the spring of 2023. I am severely allergic to many seasonal allergens and during the course of a school day I started having a severe allergic reaction after being outside with the children. Once I realized my body was breaking out in a rash and my face and throat were swelling I made the decision to leave and drive myself to urgent care. When I informed the director Michelle, she didn’t take the time to look up at me and simply informed me that I would need to provide her with a doctors note the next day. I had anaphylaxis and was sent from urgent care to the ER because my condition was so severe. The reaction from my employer felt inappropriate and uncaring. This was simply the nail in the coffin for what had been a bizarre work experience for me.

Primrose holds a high standard of premier education for early childhood education. Parents pay for this at a high tuition rate, while unfortunately, staff start out at $16 an hour. (Barely above Missouri minimum wage, just a few short miles down the highway.) I came in to primrose holding a high degree, but still the base wage remains the same across the board. Because experience and education does not seem to matter in the hiring process, Primrose had one of the highest staff turnover rates I have ever seen at a job.
The curriculum provided at primrose is solid, however, because experience and education does not seem to be a hiring pre requisite, the implementation of curriculum as well as classroom management is sorely lacking, which seems unfortunate considering what parents are being advertised.
Staff are expected to be at work at all times. My experience calling in sick was met with extreme feelings of guilt placed on me by management instead of feeling cared for by my work place.
Time off is virtually non existent. Only 3 staff members (including management) can request off on the same day, and requests, even those made months in advance are not always granted, and management will keep you in the dark regarding their decision for days to weeks at a time.
Primrose is advertised as a high quality program, but unfortunately many things in the building are far less so.
First and foremost being the food served. When I was hired I was told that even the staff clammer for the wonderful food served, unfortunately nothing could be farther from the truth. I’m not sure how the menu is meeting state nutrition requirements. One meal that stands out to me, now a year removed, is the cold pasta (prepared in the morning, served at noon) with cheese sauce (not unlike nacho cheese, in the sense that it is almost certainly processed to death). Children with dietary restrictions (vegetarian etc.) are not accommodated for in an acceptable manner. On chicken nugget day, these children would be served cheese slices. Seconds on anything were rarely available. For the price of tuition I would hope my child was receiving a quality meal, but I’m not sure most parents are aware of the food their children are actually consuming throughout the day at primrose.

As briefly mentioned above, the curriculum does serve the children well. The program in pre k is centered on kindergarten readiness and it achieves this goal. However, if your child is not typically developing, or has any sort of need, be prepared to never hear about it. When there is an educational or developmental concern about a child, staff are made to go through the office before communicating this matter with the parent. In almost each instance where there was a concern with a child, management informed the teaching staff that they would handle the situation. Children needing IEP evaluations (for speech, OT, developmental delays, behavior issues etc.) were not served in a manner I, as a certified teacher, found acceptable.

I cannot share enough great things about this school! As soon as you walk in, you are always greeted by your first name by the amazing directors. Ms. Michelle always has a smile on her face and makes you feel so comfortable and welcomed each and every morning. The directors always help to ensure your *sometimes rough* drop offs and pick ups are easy and smooth as soon as you walk through the door. The teachers in the classes are so caring and go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable leaving your children with them as they care for them like their own. We have never had any issues but if we did, I feel confident they would be taken care of efficiently and effectively. They have a low staff turnover which speaks to itself. They are always doing fun things but also learning a lot! It is the perfect mix of education and play for a daycare. I love the consistency of the teachers, directors, and staff and the facilities are kept very clean. My son loves the playground equipment outside and all of the centers they get to participate in. The app is updated throughout the day so you get pictures and updates frequently. It is the best and we have been so happy taking our kids to Primrose!