Is this how things are done now (long - school related)?

[vettechick99]

My sister sends her older child (DS8) to a special private school in Atlanta. The only accept so many kids per year and they specialize in learning disabilities (he has dyslexia). The tuition alone is $25,000 a YEAR!

So, recently she had to let her au pair go and asked me to pick him and other DS4 up from school and babysit til they get home from work. She mentioned I had to be at DS8's school right at 4 pm. "On the dot", she stressed. I'm always on time, but I asked what would happen if I didn't get there til 5 after (I live in the 'burbs, and getting into downtown Atlanta at rush hour is not always easy) and she said, "They charge $1 a minute if you are late. And if you're late, you have to call them. And then they will call me and yell for getting him late."

OK, so many things are wrong with this: yelling at an adult/parent, charging a dollar a minute?!?! This school already charging more per year than I spent on my entire 4-year college education and now they want an extra $1 for every min past 4? Last I remember, teachers were outside with kids for at least 20 mins. This just seems ridiculous to me. Am I the only one who sees this as unreasonable?

 

[Maleficent13]

Possibly a tad unreasonable, but I'm sure it was mentioned in the paperwork your sister signed when she enrolled him. If it was a condition of enrollment and she was aware of it, and chose to enroll him anyway, they have the right to enforce it.

 

[CEDmom]

The yelling part is uncalled for but the charge is pretty standard for private schools. I don't know what public school aftercare charges as a late fee. DD is still in preschool and her's charges $1 per minute after their closing time. I can understand it though because there are many people who abuse the rules and don't think 5 minutes is any big deal. It would be to me if I were teaching school all day and maybe had my own kids to pick up, make dinner for etc.

 

[bananiem]

When I worked in childcare we had a rule that the parent would be charged so much ( I think $5) for the first 15 minutes after closing and then $1 for each minute after that. It was ridiculous how many people just assumed our closer had nothing better to do than to sit there all night, after an 8 hour day, until they got around to getting their child.
Perhaps the school had trouble with parents letting the kids play on the playground, unsupervised, until they got off work and it was a liability issue.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

The yelling part would bother me, but I know most private schools/daycare have similar policies. My DDs' school policy is $10 for every 15 minute block after closing. If you are 1 minute after closing, $10; if you are 15 minutes after closing $10; if you are 16 minutes after closing, $20.

 

[tar heel]

4 p.m. may be the LATE time already.

The yelling is wrong (if it is really yelling rather than reminding about the time agreement), but I don't have a problem with $1 a minute.

When I taught preschool, our school had a $5 late fee for after 12:15 p.m. At that point, the parent was already 15 minutes late. It also was never enforced if the parent called with a good unavoidable exuse and parents also got two warnings first. Still, it was always the same people who got stuck in traffic, lost track of time, etc. Some parents NEVER came before 12:10. BTW, if the fee were enforced, the teacher not the school, got the $ since she would otherwise not be paid extra for staying late.

I'm sure a school for learning disabilities has a very low teacher/student ratio, which is why it is expensive. I'm also sure that those teachers work very hard. When school is over, they should be able to prepare for tomorrow instead of waiting for late parents.

 

[pkasbohm]

being a daycare provider i can see where this charge is coming from. I have had several parents take advantage of me and i would think that a school would be worse.

As for our public school they do not have any rules like that. There is no cost for being late and i know that the teacher stay out with the children until all is picked up. My 2 ds's walk home from school because we live 4 blocks from their school!! They have to get their stuff and leave the grounds right away so they are accounted for. They also can not cut through the play ground either--which if they did it would be 2 blocks(haven't figured that one out yet though )

 

[aprincessmom]

Wow! $1 a minute is cheap. Up here our daycare charged much more than that ($10/5 minutes) and you had to pay it in CASH right then. But you knew it going in and agreed to it when you signed your child up.

DD's afterschool care this year will be done at the public school and when you are late it's $10 for each 15 minute increment payable by check when you pick your child up. If you do it more than three times your child will no longer be welcome in the program. You have to sign a contract that states you understand this and will abide by the rules. I was told that there are a great many children who end up leaving 2-3 months in because their parents are habitually late.

Many of the teachers had their own families to get home to and being late would cost them money and time, too. Sometimes being late is unavoidable but many, many people don't care how much they inconvinence others and make it a habit.

 

[RadioNate]

Our preschool has a 4 min grace period. Once you hit 5 min it's a $10 late fee and $1 per minute for minutes 6-15. After 15 minutes it jumps to $2 a miunte.

They also start calling you and your emergency contacts at 5 minutes after closing time.

They are pretty lienent if being late isn't a habit.

DS has gone to 3 different places (daycare, parents's day out, preschool) and they've all chaged a late pick up fee.

We looked into the Montisorri in our area and the fee was something like $25 for the first 15 minutes and per minute chage each minute thereafter.

It's pretty common.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

Our preschool has the same policy.

$1 per minute late.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

my guess is that the dismissal bell actuall rings at 3:45 or 3:50 and then charging for after school care begins then.

and yes that is pretty standard.