Primrose School of Chapel Hill at Briar Chapel

Reviews

• AA

  Anonymous

  5 days ago
  3.0
  I would like to start this review by acknowledging how great the teachers are at Primrose! They always go above and beyond for the children in their care. The last two years have been very different at Primrose. We found out over a week ago that the director who has been there since the beginning was leaving. This came as a shock as it was very abrupt and without notice. I do not think that she resigned effective immediately! She cared too much for the parents, children and staff to not say goodbye. She will be missed! I am sure there will be staff and parents leaving because of this and I do not look forward to that. Since switching ownership there has been a very high staff turnover rate. Tuition has increased as well as registration fees. I do not have an issue with the increase in tuition if I saw improvements in the classrooms and playground or with teachers getting significant raises, however this is not the case. I do not see any changes that make me feel as if I am getting a return in my investment. The owners are not present on a daily basis and when they are they are not there all day. The Primrose we know and love is no longer, it feels more like a business than a childcare center. The teachers are the ones that make Primrose at Briar Chapel what it is!
• JJ

  JoAnna

  6 days ago
  3.0
  We’ve been at primrose since 2020 and have had / continue to have 3 kids going through. Only giving 3 stars because of the AMAZING teachers and staff. As many of us feared with the change of ownership a couple years ago, the school seems to be treated more like a business rather than a place that nurtures children. To nurture your children, you need to pay teachers and staff appropriately. I don’t know it for a fact, but my best guess is that all of the crazy rate hikes we continue to see are just going to the bottom dollar rather than to increase teacher pay. (I hope I’m wrong.) I’m paying $600 more per month for two kids than I was a few years ago for 2 kids in the same classroom split. Additionally, since they’ve taken ownership the classroom rates have changed in May even though kids typically don’t transition until August… so you’re basically paying for the same class just for more money. (I went back and confirmed in my transactions before 2024 when ownership changed.) They also took away the vacation week, which was such a nice way to save a little money one month per year if your child was absent all week for vacation. It made up for the week before Christmas and New Years where we pay full tuition for the month but the school is closed for a week. They also increased the registration rate from $150 to $175 even for returning families. Finally, I noticed the food menu changed in March from “Breakfast” to an “AM Snack” which I’m guessing is also a cost cutting measure for them (and why my daughter is so hungry at the end of the day). All that to say, on paper I’m just seeing money endlessly flow out of my wallet but not much to support the constant increases. Providing a coffee or donut truck a couple times a year and getting a school-wide sound system to play music are nice perks in theory, but don’t mean much when you’re paying $42,000 a year for two kids to go to daycare with no price ceiling in sight! The exec director leaving so suddenly with little explanation was the cherry on top of a not so great sundae. Amber was a lifeline for us throughout the years, always giving me whatever updates I needed when I called and making us feel comforted in the hardest of times. It’s a huge loss for the school and for the sake of my children currently enrolled, I hope we don’t see a mass exodus of teachers like we’ve seen when this scenario happened at other local daycares. As a note, I have emailed the owners about most of the above concerns (the food piece is new) and while their response was nice and professional, it didn’t give me a lot of confidence that the ~$100 per month per room will go to paying teachers more, just info about how carefully they make these decisions. I know inflation is hitting everyone hard, but when you outpace it and your families start to feel like every thing is a cash grab, you have to reconsider your approach. As stated at the top, the teachers and front desk staff make our experience. They’ve cared for my children like they’re their own and I’m so glad we have them. I just hope they’re being appropriately compensated for that, so the school can continue to retain top educator talent. They’ll have a hard time continuing to raise rates if they don’t.
• AA

  Angelica Arnaldy

  Feb 10, 2026
  5.0
  Owners are caring & go above and beyond to provide the best service! Also, love Primrose curriculum!
• JD

  J.D. DeFreese

  Jun 19, 2025
  5.0
  We love Primrose. Highly recommend.
• LA

  Lynn Allen

  Jun 14, 2024
  5.0
  We cannot say enough about how loving this school and the staff have been to our family. Our children both started in the infant room and we have been enrolled since the first weeks they opened. Their director is an absolute STAR and the school is what it is because of Amber Best and the hard work she has poured into the community she has fostered. To be part of a school that cares about your family and loves your children means the world to a working parent and we are so thankful to have them be part of our lives.

Frequently Asked Questions About Primrose School of Chapel Hill at Briar Chapel