Primrose School of Chanhassen

Benjamin and Lisa Adams live down the street from The Primrose School of Chanhassen – just can’t get more local than that! They are passionate about Primrose and are at the school daily, so if you are looking for more than daycare, more than corporate owned childcare, then you have found it. When you come in for a tour, Ben will meet you personally and get to know your story, so our team can start building a partnership with your family. Ben and Lisa add that personal touch which makes our Primrose feel like home. Imagine, warm, comforting aromas coming from the kitchen as soon as you walk in the door, a friendly greeting from the school director with a reminder of an upcoming event, then connecting with your child’s teacher about their learning and growth before leaving with a freshly baked cookie in your hand. This is the experience our families have, because Ben and Lisa invest in their people and the Primrose experience.

Lisa holds a masters degree in education with a focus on early literacy. She was a first grade teacher in 2003 when she began her quest, touring 63 local programs before expanding her search nationwide. Lisa was seeking more than daycare and more than the cookie-cutter childcare options already established here. She was looking for comprehensive elementary school preparation. As a seasoned teacher and new mother, she wanted a program that would prepare her son to thrive in her own classroom, and the only place she found that was at Primrose. She is a teacher at heart and a local advocate for teacher education and development. She’s a nationally certified Professional Development Specialist, coaching teachers throughout the twin cities, Primrose and beyond. This continued work to lift the standards in early education and care earned her Hamline University’s First Decade Award in 2008. You can feel her influence all throughout the school. It’s the full time teachers professionally collaborating together, the small teachable moments with children that aren’t missed, the understanding that children thrive in a classroom tailored to their development, and the high standards that guide every hiring decision she makes.

Ben grew up in Eden Prairie and knowing the area’s long-standing commitment to education, insisted that the first Minnesota Primrose was built in his hometown. He genuinely cares for the people in this community and it shows! When a family inquires, Ben personally reaches out and meets them at the school. Throughout Lisa’s quest, Ben was the student, and now he’s dedicated himself to helping first time parents like he was. In 2012, The Primrose School of Chanhassen was built, minutes away from Eden Prairie, so the two could act as one unified school. This is his vision for how the two schools work-one big family. Leadership and chefs collaborate between both campuses, reflecting that interconnected, homey vibe. As a true foodie, Ben invests in trained chefs and a healthy well-balanced menu. The school’s food program was recognized in 2009 as the largest user of local ingredients, its Farm-to-Table program was highlighted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in 2021, and our famous Cookie Fridays at The Primrose School of Chanhassen boast new flavors of homemade cookies each week. Ben received the City of Eden Prairie’s Excellence in Education Award in 2016 and was nominated for the Eden Prairie Human Rights Award in 2008.

Ben and Lisa have been with Primrose since 2004. They brought the first Primrose to Minnesota and were the 56th in the country (compared to 550 schools today). The Primrose School of Eden Prairie was the first franchised preschool in Minnesota to be awarded the NCA-CASI (now Cognia) Academic Accreditation, and have received multiple community choice awards for “Best Preschool”. They built the school for their son Allen, who attends Gustavus college and is a teacher at The Primrose School of Chanhassen during his school breaks. This multi-generational involvement continues that close-knit, “small town feel” you get when you walk in the door.

Welcome neighbor to The Primrose School of Chanhassen! We look forward to getting to know you, partnering with your family, and also seeing you around town!