K-12 private school moves to new + bigger location in Birmingham

The private school Primer opened in Birmingham last year and was incubated at Miles College. Now, it’s moving to its full-time spot at Holy Family Cristo Rey High School.

Since its education-style continues to grow in popularity across Birmingham and Alabama, we spoke with the team at Primer to learn more about their new space.

Primer school moves to new location in Birmingham

According to a press release from Primer, applications for Alabama’s CHOOSE Act, a program that puts public dollars toward supporting access to private schools, jumped 33% this year.

“As a teacher myself, I know how hard it can be for kids to get the individualized attention they need in a traditional classroom setting.

Primer has been a game-changer for my daughter—watching her go from a reluctant reader to someone who comes home excited to tell me what she learned that day has been incredible. I give Primer a 10 out of 10, and we can’t wait for another year.”

Crystal, Birmingham parent, Primer

As Primer continues to grow—14 campuses nationally and five in Alabama (Huntsville, Montgomery, Dothan and Mobile)—they needed to look for a bigger space to accommodate students.

“We’ve outgrown the space at Miles. We will always be very grateful to President Knight for letting us be there, but to serve the kids who want to come in, we need a bigger space.”

Stephen Bridgers

What’s different about a Primer classroom?

• K-8th grade model
• Multiple-grade classrooms, so kids get to be around kids a little bit older or younger as a mentor-mentee aspect
• Mornings are focused on core academics + afternoons are dedicated to hands-on projects

“A challenge that exists in education, no matter where you are, is that not all of your kids are at the same level. At Primer, we’re able to serve all kids in the same classroom, so that some don’t feel like they’re being pushed too hard, and others who work a little bit faster aren’t bored.”

Stephen Bridgers

What do you think of Primer and its growth in Birmingham? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know.