Meet Melisa and Vincent Schultz – proud Franchise Owners of the Primrose School of Apple Valley. Committed to excellence in every aspect of their school, this entrepreneurial pair is delighted to bring high-quality early education and care to the children and families in Apple Valley and the surrounding communities.

The couple first discovered Primrose Schools after learning that they were expecting their first child, Madelyn. Although Melisa and Vincent began their child care search early and toured many care facilities in the area, they both left each tour unsatisfied with the lack of basic care and the quality of education each location provided. Towards the end of their search, they visited a Primrose school and instantly felt a sense of family and trust that was missing from other options in the community. Once Madelyn was born, she was enrolled at the local Primrose school.

After a few months of Madelyn attending the Primrose school, Melisa and Vincent were impressed by the growth and development in her social, emotional, and cognitive skills. They began to realize and appreciate the positive impact the Balanced Learning® curriculum had on their daughter and family. Melisa and Vincent also discovered that they were completely aligned with the vision and mindset of Primrose, which is to provide high-quality education for all children to equip them for a brighter future.

“Vincent always had an entrepreneurial spirit and throughout our marriage would come to me with various ideas for our own business, but nothing ever felt quite right,” said Melisa. “We knew that whatever our business endeavor would be, it had to mirror our passion for making a lasting positive change in the children and families of our community. Finally, I asked him, ‘What if we opened a Primrose school?’”

They then investigated the process and ultimately turned their dream into reality in 2013 when the husband and wife team officially became franchise owners. Vincent and Melisa have spent hours working on the design of their school, poring over every detail to ensure it is optimized for the health and safety of every student. They believe that the environment they have created allows for the best possible learning opportunities for students. Melisa and Vincent thought of everything, including: a water filtration system for the school, an air exchange system to continually provide fresh air, and a special playground turf system that is softer and provides more cushion than other playground options.

Prior to joining Primrose, Melisa practiced medicine in Endocrinology as a physician assistant (PA-C) for six years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in bacteriology with a business certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She then attended The George Washington University where she earned a Master of Science in Health Sciences degree and a physician assistant certificate. Vincent also attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. Vincent is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and was formerly an audit manager. He was also an assurance senior with a Big 4 accounting firm.

Melisa and Vincent are thrilled to partner with parents in Apple Valley and the surrounding communities. They are committed to providing children with a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn and grow into happy, confident adults. Primrose School of Apple Valley will offer the Primrose exclusive, research-informed, Balanced Learning® curriculum, which blends teacher-guided, child-initiated learning and play with a focus on character development in Infant through private Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. In addition, the school will provide before and after school programs and an education focused summer camp for students up to 12 years of age. At the school, Melisa will handle the day-to-day operations by working closely with parents, children, and staff to create a nurturing, supportive, and collaborative environment. Vincent will also play an active role in supporting the new school. Their children, Madelyn, Scarlett and Quintin attend the Primrose School of Apple Valley.

The Primrose School of Apple Valley opened January 2016 and is located at 15455 Embry Path. For more information, visit www.PrimroseAppleValley.com.