Microschools on the rise, offer families a flexible alternative

By Erika Gonzalez

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    FLORIDA (WFOR) — A new model of education is taking root at an office building near you. Microschools, small and highly personalized learning hubs, are drawing more families who want something different from traditional public education.

Primer, one of the companies leading the movement in Florida, describes itself as a blend between private school and homeschooling. The model is defined by small enrollment. The average microschool nationwide has just 22 students, according to the latest data from the National Microschooling Center.

For Jennifer Puig, that intimacy was exactly what her daughter needed after years of struggling in a larger public school classroom.

“Every morning my stomach hurts or I have a headache,” Puig recalled her daughter saying. “Physically, when we would get to the school, she wouldn’t wanna go in.”

Puig said her daughter has now been enrolled for two years at Primer.

“It’s not a traditional school. The classroom sizes are smaller, it’s more hands-on, and the communication with the parents is great,” she said.

Teachers say the smaller setting allows them to meet students where they are academically, whether that means moving ahead or taking more time to master skills.

“We believe in the power of the small group,” Sara Kern, who left public education after two decades to teach at Primer, said. “Our students might be second graders, but they might be working on a first-grade level in reading and that’s okay.”

Kern said another benefit was the freedom from state assessments.

“We don’t have that pressure of testing,” she explained. “We do have accountability built in, but I don’t have the weight of needing every student to be on grade level by the end of the year.”

Growth of microschools Primer’s Kendall microschool has 97 students ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade, with eight full-time employees, including teachers and assistants. The company has 10 schools in Florida and plans to add four more by the next school year. Teachers are even given stock in the company, a unique perk in the education sector.

National experts say what’s happening with Primer and others in Florida reflects a bigger shift that began during the pandemic, when families rethought traditional schooling.

“So many of us as parents came to reevaluate the relationships we had with the institutions we historically relied upon to meet our family’s education needs,” Don Soifer, director of the National Microschooling Center, said.

Research from RAND Education and Labor shows that between one million and two million students nationwide now attend microschools full-time, with many more participating part-time.

At Primer, tuition is $14,000 per year, though the school accepts state scholarships and works with families who cannot afford the full cost.

For Puig, the investment is worth it.

“It feels amazing being able to go to work and know she’s happy where she’s at, and she’s learning and thriving,” she said.

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