the Cost of Private Preschools

I'm sending my child to a preschool at a local church about five minutes from my house. They offer separate sessions for different age groups and have two, three, or five day/week programs. My child attends a two day/week program that runs from 12:15-2:45 with the option of having lunch at the school before session starts. She can bring food from home or pay for meals at the school. There is a registration fee of $50.00 and a contract fee that will be used as a credit for the last month of tuition. Contract fees are $260.00 for two days/week, $335.00 for three days/week, and $485.00 for five days/week. There is a $10 late fee for any payment more than five days late and for those wanting to pay monthly installments, there is a 5% bookkeeping fee. Costs are as follows: annual fee for September through May is $3,135 for five days, $1,955.00 for three days, and $1,493.00 for 2 days. If one pays twice a year, the payment breakdown is $1,567.50 for five days, $977.50 for three days, and $746.50 for two days. For the monthly payment plan, one pays $470.25 for five days, $293.25 for three days, and $223.95 for two days, with the additional 5% bookkeeping charge. There have been no further additional costs.

I am very happy with the school my child is attending. The classes are not too large and there are enough staff members available to help with all the children. Even though it is affiliated with a church of a different denomination than our own, I feel very comfortable sending her there. The teachers are certified and highly professional and the entire preschool is run very efficiently. This is the first preschool my child is attending and the teachers are very supportive and understanding. They do have a stipulation that all the children are potty trained before they start attending any classes at the school. They also insist on having an updated medical check-up form filled out and signed by the child's pediatrician. In addition, they are very careful about being made aware of any food or medical allergies that the child may have, as well as any medication the child will need in case of an emergency. Overall, I think it is a great preschool and my child seems very happy there. I do think the price is a little high for four hours a week of daycare but from what I gather, relatively reasonable for this area.

We started looking for a preschool by asking friends and neighbors first. I looked up daycare centers and preschools in our area and called around for prices and brochures. Before we made any sort of appointments with the school, we drove by the school to see how far it was from our home, how close to the road the school was located, what kind of outdoor facility was available for the children, and also how much traffic was on the road closest to the school. A friend suggested our current preschool and many of our neighbors send or have sent their children to this program. There are dozens of preschools and daycare centers in our area so to have one highly recommended was a relief. I called up the school to ask about their program and the director of the school answered and was very friendly and welcoming on the phone. She encouraged us to visit the school with our child before we made any commitments. Our town has many elementary schools and I felt that it was important to send her to a popular local preschool where our child will most likely meet students that will also attend her elementary school.