Toddler Pre-School

I am looking to go back to school this coming fall, and I have been researching some preschools for the girls to attend 2 days a week because I don't want to just put them in daycare. My girls will be 2 in October. I found This preschool and I was very impressed with their curriculum, but it is seems really expensive! It is $500 for the first child per month, and you get a 10% discount for the second child, so it would be $950/month. Is that the going rate for this age or is that really high? I am assuming its higher because they most likely will not be potty trained??

We are going to take a look at it next week. At this age, what questions should I be asking and what should I look for?

 

To me that seems really high! I know people who pay much less than that for full time daycare! At 2, I would probably put them into a daycare program for the 2 days. Any school at that age is more about being around other kids anyway, and daycare will fit the bill, and save your pocketbook!

 

We researched preschools around here for our girls for the fall. We visited two and considered sending them for 2 days, 2.5 hours each day. One school was just under $400 (for both) and one was just over $400 for both.

As for questions, I'm not sure. :blush: The two we checked out were recommended to us by several families we know very well, so I got a lot of information from them.

 

I thought I should add that it is two full days (they don't do half days), and they provide breakfast and afternoon snack. I have to provide lunch.

 

I think even for 2 full days that seems high. I know here, for 4 year old preschool (that Emilie and Trevor will most likely do the following fall) 5 days a week 12:30-3pm (so half days, but 5 days a week) is $250/month per child. So that would equal 2 full days.


As for questions, I would just ask, what kind of things they do for socialization, do they have computer time, what types of art/crafts do they do, field trips, you could ask if they do anything with ABCs and numbers. How the schedule for the day goes, etc.

 

I think that's really high! Have you looked into a Montessouri school (sorry I'm sure I screwed up the spelling!)? They tend to focus more on curriculum. Honestly during summer it's hard to find a "pre-school" that really sticks to the curriculum, mostly because State pre-school goes along with the Aug-June (example) school systems.
As for questions I would ask... I would ask to look at their evaluation forms and their numbers of kids. I would also ask a LOT of questions about the teachers. Who has a BS, who has a Masters? What schooling do the "aides" need in order to work there? What is the teacher turn-over rate, how long have the teacers been there? Are there any other parents you can talk to? What are their hours (I'm sure you've thought of this ) but what do they charge if you're late... Some places can charge 1$ every minute you're late. How many sets of twins do/have they had? How did they handle it? How are meals served? Are they on a State food program?
Is this the school that you plan on your girls going to until they start K? I ask because that is a WHOLE different set of questions. I didn't want to transition to another school with my oldest so I made sure that we wanted to stick with this one all the way. Our pre-school actually has a sit down with all the K teachers at the school you're looking to put them into so they can see what level the kids are at and what teachers work best.
I hope some of this makes sense!

 

We are looking at Montessori schools although we don't know what our situation is going to be by fall. 2 days per week, 2 hours per day at the "cheap" Montessori is $570/mo (total for 2). But, 5 days per week, 2 hours per day is "only" $760 total (2.5 times as much classroom time!).

I think a lot of these programs are outrageously expensive, but compared to schools around here that actually have a curriculum, $950 does sound high for only 2 days per week.

 

I send my DD's 2 days a week, to a preschool/daycare, and it is $781/month total (includes snacks & lunch). Once Grace moves up a room, now that she's potty trained, it will be $700/month total. So yes, I think $950 is a bit high. But are yours potty trained yet? That would make a difference, plus San Diego would run higher. So it's not totally out of the ballpark.

 

Honestly, for two full days I don't think that is overly expensive. My twins were in three full days at 2 years old. The daycare that they were in gave me 1/2 off of the twin (the owner was a twin) and I was paying $1155/month when they stopped going. So one child/ 3 days was 770 and the second was 385 given the discount.

My twins were in 2 days a week for 2 hrs 45 min this year and I paid $236.25 total/month. They are doing 3 days next year and we will pay $345 a month.

 

wow - I pay $621 per month for 3 full days per week and that includes breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack - and thats for both!! They are still in the toddler room until the fall pre-school curriculum starts again and then they'll move up - but even in the toddler room they learn shapes, colors, ABC's and #'s.

 

K&K will start in the fall at three mornings a week (from 9am to 1pm), not including any food. We will pay about $850 a month for both of them....no discount for the second kid, unfortunately.

Their preschool is among the more expensive ones in our area, but is by no means the most expensive. So, I don't think yours is *that* far off....

 

I paid $390 a month for both for full-day. I wonder if it's so much more for you being in So. Cal? (our full day was 9:30-3:30 FYI)

 

Ours is $532 for both for 2 half days of 9-1230. They get snack and I pack their lunch. It will be cheaper in August when they start the 3 year old program and are supposed to be potty trained...

 

That seems high to me!! But then again I know preschool costs seem to vary depending on where you live. Next year my 2 will go 4 days a week from 9-1pm and I am paying $550 a month.

 

Schools are expensive here and so were the preschools in Chicago. My oldest went 2 full days, was over $5000 a year. Then she went to a school next to our house when she was 3 for 3 full days (8 to 3), about $3500 a year.

In Hong Kong, my oldest went to preschool 5 full days, close to $10k a year (excluding school bus), she will now go to Primary and that will be less ("only" around $7k). The twins will go to a "cheaper" preschool for about $450 a month for 5 mornings (3 hours) per child, so $900 for both ...

I guess, it really depends where you live.

 

My boys went to a Montesssori school last year (their toddler program) and it was 3 days a week for 1 hour 45 minutes and was 1,800 for the year (per kid..actually 5% off for the 2nd child). This year they are going to preschool at a regular preschool and it is also 3 days a week for 2 hours and roughly the same price as the Montessori.

 

Seems a bit high but we never tried to put the twins in daycare while we were in Cali. The girls go to a preschool geared daycare and it costs before dhs pays around $850

 

That seems a bit high to me. To compare, but we only did the two days a week 9-12, it was $320 for both. This year when mine do 3-days a week it will be $500. But again only 9-12.

 

WOW expensive! I spent about $150 a month for John to go a few years ago, 2 half days a week. I think I would look into something cheaper Kyrstyn.

 

We will be paying $3000 for the school year (August to June)per child for 2 days a week for about 3 hours per day. They do give a family discount of 10% or 20% and another small discount if you pay everything up front (as opposed to monthly payments), I believe.