The model tends to attract families who want smaller learning environments and more individualized attention for students. <\/p>\n
Primer\u2019s tagline is \u201cWe take kids seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to position kids to get on level content that they\u2019re ready for\u00a0as much of this school day as possible,\u201d said Brian Sparks, the school\u2019s San Antonio market manager.<\/p>\n
Sparks, a 20-year long educator, joined Primer in December. Before that, he worked at different charter networks and school districts in teaching and administrative roles, including Compass Rose Public Schools, the Gathering Place and San Antonio Independent School District.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main reason why I came to Primer is I believe in choice, and I think that it is our responsibility to provide as many viable choices for parents to look at,\u201d Sparks said. <\/p>\n
Set to open this fall for the 2026-27 school year, Primer is currently recruiting families to enroll at each of its three campuses.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Live Oak:<\/strong> 13250 Judson Road<\/li>\n
- University Heights:<\/strong> 6506 W. Hausman Road<\/li>\n
- Potranco:<\/strong> 8710 Potranco Road<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Live Oak and Potranco locations are currently being built from the ground up, and the University Heights campus is undergoing renovations after it formerly housed a private Montessori school.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PrimerMicroschools_SchoolVouchers_Tuition_K-8Education_04_01.13.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
The former Montessori school that will be undergoing renovations for a new Primer Microschool located at 6506 W. Hausman Road. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\nThe Primer model<\/p>\n
Initially founded<\/a> as an online learning alternative, Primer pivoted to micro schools in 2022. <\/p>\n
Sparks said each campus will have between three and six mixed-aged classrooms, green spaces and fencing around the campus. <\/p>\n
While there are hybrid central Primer staff, campuses and schools are entirely teacher-led, and Primer\u2019s largest footprint is in Florida. Interested teachers can apply for a months-long fellowship program to be trained in the Primer model.<\/p>\n
At Primer, one classroom is considered a \u201cschool.\u201d The network has about 48 schools across roughly 20 locations, and teachers lead each cohort with the help of \u201cstudio guides\u201d or teaching assistants.<\/p>\n
Students are divided by grade clusters, meaning one cohort could serve kindergarten through second grade, then third through fifth grade and finally sixth through seventh grade. The model helps building community and connectivity between students and teachers, Sparks said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re with one group of kids and one or two staff members for the for the entire day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
School days are split between instruction focused on math and literacy and project-based learning blocks where students get more creative control of what they\u2019re learning \u2014 Primer calls them \u201cpursuits.\u201d <\/p>\n
Ahmad Newton, 7, is a second grader at one of Primer\u2019s Florida locations. He\u2019s been with Primer since kindergarten.<\/p>\n
Darielle Newton, his mom, says her son\u2019s pursuits currently include gardening, learning how plants grow and learning about what police officers and firefighters do.<\/p>\n
Newton likes that Primer doesn\u2019t use as much standardized testing as traditional public schools. <\/p>\n
Primer issues MAP tests, a benchmark used nationally to measure academic growth in math and reading, three times a year to get a sense of where students are.<\/p>\n
Cost and school vouchers<\/p>\n
The Florida-based network moves into San Antonio as Texas debuts a school voucher program, set to give participating families state dollars to cover tuition, textbooks and other education-related costs.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PrimerMicroschools_SchoolVouchers_Tuition_K-8Education_Courtesy.jpeg\")
A student works on classwork at the Primer Liberty City Microschool in Florida. Credit: Courtesy \/ Primer Microschools<\/p>\nFlorida, Arizona and Alabama have their own versions of a voucher program \u2014 Primer builds its tuition around them.<\/p>\n
In Texas, state officials say participating families will receive about $10,500 on average during the first year of the program, also known as Texas Education Freedom Accounts or TEFAs. <\/p>\n
TEFA applications open Feb. 4, with the first notifications to families set to come out in March. Supervised by the state comptroller\u2019s office, the voucher program already has a website<\/a> and initial lists<\/a> of private schools opting in to accept TEFAs as payment.<\/p>\n
To be able to accept TEFA dollars, private schools have to have be in \u201cgood standing\u201d and operating for at least two years inside or outside of Texas.<\/p>\n
Primer, which founded in 2019, expects most of its families to be TEFA recipients. Families who aren\u2019t granted a voucher for the 2026-27 cycle can expect Primer to cover the cost through scholarships from its own philanthropic foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cTuition to books to computer \u2014 really everything other than\u00a0uniform cost. And then we have an\u00a0after school program\u00a0that comes with a small cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Micro schooling in San Antonio<\/p>\n
Founder and CEO Ryan Delk said Primer chose San Antonio as its gateway into Texas because there was a lot of interest from families and educators.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents and educators have been asking us to come to San Antonio for years, but since being in the community this year as we prepare to open, we\u2019ve been blown away by the response,\u201d Delk said in an email. <\/p>\n
San Antonio has a small but burgeoning micro schooling landscape, according to Inga Cotton, founder and executive director of the School Discovery Network, a group that helps San Antonio families learn about the area\u2019s many education options. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s some homeschool co-ops in San Antonio, where families support each other through issues with harder subject material, college application processes and socialization. Sometimes, these co-opts grow into more formal micro schools, Cotton explained. <\/p>\n
Cotton, a former homeschooler, said micro schools tend to attract homeschooling families and families with children who may have special needs. <\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that draws people to things like homeschooling or micro schools is the feeling that you have a kid who\u2019s\u00a0atypical in some way,\u201d Cotton said. <\/p>\n
Newton agrees. She said her son tends to be easily distracted, so he needs a teacher who can give him more attention and focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son is not the easiest child to teach,\u201d Newton said, but his current second-grade teacher, who\u2019s been with him since kinder, genuinely cares and meets his needs.<\/p>\n
Cotton added that families might also be attracted by a micro school\u2019s smallness \u2014 smaller campuses and fewer students \u2014 which can feel safer for parents concerned about campus security.<\/p>\n
- University Heights:<\/strong> 6506 W. Hausman Road<\/li>\n