Lurker Intro/Preschool Tuition Question

[dach0507]

I'm a SAHM with two kids, DS (2.5) and DD (1). I was around the "other" place for both DS and DDs BMB and lurked SAHM, then came over here when everything went down in Jan. I'm hoping to participate more over here, so thought I'd poll the SAHMs with a question I've been trying to find answers to on google.
I'm looking to send DS to preschool in the fall when he will be a new 3yo. I've been researching schools in our area and am floored by the outrageous (IMO) prices. I am looking to send him 2 mornings a week (so roughly 6 hours a week) and the prices I'm finding are $500-600/month for TWO MORNINGS a week!! Over $1000 for 5 mornings a week! I know that prices will vary greatly by region, but just trying to get an idea of what other people pay. We live comfortably but don't necessarily have $600 extra floating around every month . Am I missing something? Am I looking in the wrong places? These are either private schools or through a church. The only public I have found is income-based and we do not qualify.

Sooo, what do you pay for preschool and for what? 

[gastro]

Those prices seem reasonable to me but I live in a very HCOL area with a lot of competition/ waitlists for getting into preschool.

This isn't always the case but coop preschools in our area are considerably cheaper - but there is a time commitment on part of the parent and with a 1 year old at home it may not be an option for you.

Tuition for DS was $14,400 for 2 half days a week + $300 activity fee. Sept- june

[lala]

For here that would be pretty insane, but I'm only comparing it to preschools at churches. Most people use those or the synagogues. Not all are religiously based. Actual private schools with preschool programs or Montessori/Waldorf style places would be closer to that. I'm right outside of a major city, it's different in the city and in surrounding suburbs. I pay $160/month for 9 months for 2.5 hours 3 days a week, Labor Day through mem day.

[cjcouple]

thats high for my area.

Northeast CT and I paid $180 a month for 3 3hr mornings a week for 3yo

[dach0507]

Feb 26, 2015 19:13:18 GMT -5 gastro said:

Those prices seem reasonable to me but I live in a very HCOL area with a lot of competition/ waitlists for getting into preschool.

This isn't always the case but coop preschools in our area are considerably cheaper - but there is a time commitment on part of the parent and with a 1 year old at home it may not be an option for you.



This is probably super creepy but I *think* we live in the same area....I figured it was something we just had to swallow and do, but gosh it's hard! 

[expectantsteelerfan]

That is high for my area and the area we recently moved from. I was paying about $200 for 5 days a week for ds before we moved, and that was the lower option, the highest option was I think $360 a month for 5 days.
DD goes 2 days this year, and I payed it all at once, but I think it was just over $1000. Her school does a lot of fundraisers and stuff because tuition doesn't cover running costs, and honestly, I'd rather pay a bit more in tuition than be expected to do all the fundraisers.

[gastro]

Feb 26, 2015 19:22:50 GMT -5 dach0507 said:

Feb 26, 2015 19:13:18 GMT -5 gastro said:

Those prices seem reasonable to me but I live in a very HCOL area with a lot of competition/ waitlists for getting into preschool.

This isn't always the case but coop preschools in our area are considerably cheaper - but there is a time commitment on part of the parent and with a 1 year old at home it may not be an option for you.



This is probably super creepy but I *think* we live in the same area....I figured it was something we just had to swallow and do, but gosh it's hard! 

I edited my post above with DSs tuition last year. We are at a coop now. It's cheaper but it was actually the school philosophy that got me to switch. If you are in the Bay Area we are in the same area....

[Deleted]

We are Midwest (suburb of a major city) and two day a week around here is $100-300 a month. Co-ops are less expensive, but more parent involvement...we are at a private school prek-8th grade and it's mid range. 5-600 a month seems really high to me, but we are mcol ...in a hcol area I could see that's probably how much it will be.

Our ymca offers preschool too maybe as something to check out. Good luck and welcome!

[dach0507]

Feb 26, 2015 19:25:56 GMT -5 gastro said:

Feb 26, 2015 19:22:50 GMT -5 dach0507 said:

I edited my post above with DSs tuition last year. We are at a coop now. It's cheaper but it was actually the school philosophy that got me to switch. If you are in the Bay Area we are in the same area....

Yes we're in the Bay Area. And you're right, not only are tuition costs high but the waitlists are crazy....I had no idea (my fault) that I needed to look into getting DS on a waitlist a year or more in advance. Not to mention the "applications" for consideration. We tried to get in a coop (although it was only about $50/month cheaper) but they did a lottery for 3 spots for next year and we ended up #26 on the waitlist   . Well I'm glad to know there's not a hidden preschool market I'm missing, sounds like this is reasonable for our area and we just have to make it work. Thank you for your replies  .

[dach0507]

Ugh, sorry for being stuck in the box for both replies...clearly I'm a noob

[gastro]

Feb 26, 2015 19:35:22 GMT -5 dach0507 said:

Feb 26, 2015 19:25:56 GMT -5 gastro said:

I edited my post above with DSs tuition last year. We are at a coop now. It's cheaper but it was actually the school philosophy that got me to switch. If you are in the Bay Area we are in the same area....

Yes we're in the Bay Area. And you're right, not only are tuition costs high but the waitlists are crazy....I had no idea (my fault) that I needed to look into getting DS on a waitlist a year or more in advance. Not to mention the "applications" for consideration. We tried to get in a coop (although it was only about $50/month cheaper) but they did a lottery for 3 spots for next year and we ended up #26 on the waitlist   . Well I'm glad to know there's not a hidden preschool market I'm missing, sounds like this is reasonable for our area and we just have to make it work. Thank you for your replies  .

Pm me if you want. We used to live in the city and now live down south from there...Depending on where you are I might have some suggestions.
It's so damn crazy here- I know in the city people schedule csections because once you have a due date you can get your kid on a waitlist!

[cabbagecabbage]

Chicago burbs here. Two morning preschool is $110-250 here for a range of simple park district program to montessori. Friends in the city proper pay on the high end of that.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

I did private preschool the past two years and paid $285/month for 2 days, 2.5 hours. We got him in the lottery for public pre k and pay $130/month for 5 days 2.5 hours a day.

[goillini823]

We did full day pre k with DD. That ran us $575/month.

For 3 year we do the park district early childhood program. For 2xs/week for 3 hours we pay $100 every 10 weeks.

[foodiemom]

That would be high for our area for 1/2 day preschool. I will pay $3550 for 2 days a week next year. 9-1. There are less expensive option and much more expensive for the Montessauri options, but this is middle of the road.

[chatterbox]

My daughter isn't in preschool yet, but my neighbors started sending their little boy this year. They pay $2400 per month for two days per week (3 hrs per day). I don't know if that's average for NYC or not though.

[jensriot]

That's high for my area (DFW). I pay $200/mo for 2 day, 9a-2p. Another place I looked into was $280. Full week Montessori runs about $1200-$1600. I think that's also 9-2, but could be mistaken.

[dach0507]

Thanks for all the feedback! Clearly tuition rates vary widely based on region. Glad to know I'm not doing it wrong

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2015 19:07:43 GMT -5 dach0507 said:

I'm a SAHM with two kids, DS (2.5) and DD (1). I was around the "other" place for both DS and DDs BMB and lurked SAHM, then came over here when everything went down in Jan. I'm hoping to participate more over here, so thought I'd poll the SAHMs with a question I've been trying to find answers to on google.
I'm looking to send DS to preschool in the fall when he will be a new 3yo. I've been researching schools in our area and am floored by the outrageous (IMO) prices. I am looking to send him 2 mornings a week (so roughly 6 hours a week) and the prices I'm finding are $500-600/month for TWO MORNINGS a week!! Over $1000 for 5 mornings a week! I know that prices will vary greatly by region, but just trying to get an idea of what other people pay. We live comfortably but don't necessarily have $600 extra floating around every month . Am I missing something? Am I looking in the wrong places? These are either private schools or through a church. The only public I have found is income-based and we do not qualify.

Sooo, what do you pay for preschool and for what? 

If you live in a HCOL area, those prices seem normal (higher end, IME, though).

DS will got to 3yo preschool two mornings a week next year and the cost for us is about $250/month. We use a mid-range (price wise) school.

[YahYahs]

Baltimore suburb. We pay $160/month per girl for 2 days @ 2.5 hrs/day.

[quesyrah]

That's about what preschools are here. The past 2 years DS has gone to the city program. I checked it out expecting to hate it but I was so impressed. It's a play based program and has been a wonderful experience. We pay $295 for 4 mornings a week. Last year for 2 mornings we paid $149.

Most other schools were in the $500 range for 2 half days and around $700 for 4 Full