Is Pre-K free in your area??

[novajeanjellybean]

Just wondering if the norm is for Pre-K to cost money or is it free??

 

[mickeyboat]

Yes it is free in our area 3-4 days per week. There are a limited number of spots available, and you are not guaranteed to get in (most do, though). Until we start full day K in our district next year, the pre-K day was longer than the K day.

 

[1stluvispooh]

You pay for pre-K. School isn't legally mandated until kindergarten so it comes directly out of the parents pockets if they want to send their kid. Around here everybody did.

Oh I should say that preschool, pre-K is free if you have a child with a special need. It's run by the local school district. At least in Ohio.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Yes, our school district has had free 1/2 day 4yo pre-k for years now open to everyone. K is all day.

 

[happygirl]

We don't have Pre-K in our school district

 

[buzzlady]

Yes, Pre-K in our public school is free.

 

[NAB]

Here in Canada we have junior k and senior k in the elementary schools. They go every other day and every other Friday . Not next year but the next one senior k will go everyday. JK kids are usually 4 but some are 3 all most 4 if there birthday falls between Sept and Dec.

It is just like normal school so yes it is free.

You do not have to send them to junior k but they lose out on a lot if they don't. Just gives the child two years to complete the program to go into grade one.

 

[golfgal]

You pay for pre-K. School isn't legally mandated until kindergarten so it comes directly out of the parents pockets if they want to send their kid. Around here everybody did.

Oh I should say that preschool, pre-K is free if you have a child with a special need. It's run by the local school district. At least in Ohio.

Actually in most states kindergarten isn't mandated either, 1st grade is though. We don't have pre-K here, just preschools, which generally are not free unless you qualify for some of the low income programs they have.

 

[Shmily1]

In GA, the Pre K run by the state is free and funded by the lottery. DS19 was in Pre K the first year this was started. The kids had so much fun!!!

We also have preschool but that's something the parents can choose to pay for and is run by several churches, kind of like a private school program.

 

[mum4jenn]

GA has free Pre-K. It is funded through the lottery sales.They go 5 days a week for a normal school day ( around 8:20-3) It is not a requirement but almost everyone attends and the slots in our system fill up so quickly that may parents camp out starting the day before. Some area day cares are also approved for the same program and they usually get the overflow.

 

[Singleminnie]

Ours is not free unless your child is special needs. My DD3 has one more year of Pre-K, I wish she is old enough to attend kindergarten.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Pre K (and preschool) here is primarily run privately and paid for by parents. Some public elementary schools also offer a preschool/preK program, which is also paid for by parents. Not sure if special needs kids are able to go for free.

 

[ICF]

No free Pre - K here.....I wish there had been...I'd have save thousands of dollars after sending 2 kids through it.

 

[HerdOHuds]

Pre-K has been free here. There is a budget waiting in the state government that would eliminate most Early Childhood Block grants. This would leave 130,000 children in the state without services. We are waiting to hear if the funding will come through or not.

There are also private pre-school programs. They are varying degrees of cost and quality.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Pre-k is free here. Some public schools have full day Prek programs but most are half day.

If a day care center has a prek programs (3-4 hours- 5 days a week) that portion of the day is free.

You pay for pre-K. School isn't legally mandated until kindergarten so it comes directly out of the parents pockets if they want to send their kid. Around here everybody did.

Really, I didn't think kids were required to attend school until 1st grade.

 

[D&DDisney]

It is free here in WI and has been for quite a few years now.

 

[EthansMom]

Nope.

We do have a pre-K that is free for kids who have special needs and they accept a limited number of normally-abled kids into the program.

Around here, most kids go to preschool/pre-K for at least one year. My DD5's last day of preschool was last Friday... there's an extra $2400 staying in our pockets (okay, actually being put away for college) next year.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

It's also true in Ontario (Canada) that school is not required until grade one, and if your child was born between September and December, they have the option of waiting an additional year to start school in grade one.

I disagree, by the way, that children miss out on a lot by not attending pre-kindergarten. There is no research to show any long-term benefits except to children from low-income, deprived homes. The only difference is that the kids who have been in these JK/SK programs learn the school routines, but six-year-olds starting in grade one will pick those up pretty quickly.

It does make sense for parents who would have their children in daycare situations otherwise - it's certainly helpful to them to have a taxpayer-supported, educational program. But a parent at home with young children can provide plenty of opportunities for learning, creative play, outings in the community, etc.

Teresa Pitman

 

[Piglets Mommy]

No free Pre-K here....If a parent wants their child to go to a pre-K program, they pay for it. (I think some special needs kids can get a state funded program, though)

 

[mjkacmom]

They just passed an idiotic law requiring free full day preschool for low income families. Great - there goes my tax money for daycare. Our public kindergarten is 1/2 day, because we don't have room for full day, and yet we need to provide free daycare - I mean preschool. All other preschool is private (and very expensive).