preschool prices

[clori]

I know daycare prices vary alot by area. I'm curious about preschool costs. By preschool I am thinking about a program where the kid is there 3 days a week maybe 4 hours a day. A few years ago I remember paying $65 per week for my now 6 year old to attend 3 days a week for 4 hours. it was part of a daycare but she was just there for structured preschool time. Now I'm looking at preschools for next September for my now 2 year old. I haven't visited the old one yet but a new one I just visited was $260 per month for 9-1 Monday and Wednesdays and 9-12 on Fridays. It is not part of a daycare. Both are private but the public preschool is close to the same price for 3 days at 2.5 hours each day. I live a few miles away from Boston. My dh asked me if prices were the same all over the country and I told him I would ask but that we probably pay on the high side for being close to an urban area but probably less than places like the heart of Manhatten.

 

[krcit]

I'm on Long Island and last year I paid $170 a month for my ds to go-Tus. Thurs and Friday form 12-2:30. He's in Kindergarten now and I sure don't miss that bill

 

[DwarfMaster]

I know daycare prices vary alot by area. I'm curious about preschool costs. By preschool I am thinking about a program where the kid is there 3 days a week maybe 4 hours a day. A few years ago I remember paying $65 per week for my now 6 year old to attend 3 days a week for 4 hours. it was part of a daycare but she was just there for structured preschool time. Now I'm looking at preschools for next September for my now 2 year old. I haven't visited the old one yet but a new one I just visited was $260 per month for 9-1 Monday and Wednesdays and 9-12 on Fridays. It is not part of a daycare. Both are private but the public preschool is close to the same price for 3 days at 2.5 hours each day. I live a few miles away from Boston. My dh asked me if prices were the same all over the country and I told him I would ask but that we probably pay on the high side for being close to an urban area but probably less than places like the heart of Manhatten.

I pay $125/Month for the same thing. M-W-F 9:00-11:30 it is a DayCare Center but we only go for the PreSchool portion of it.

 

[ChrisLei]

I am on the Jersey Shore, and I pay $150 a month for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I paid $120.00 a month for my DS to attend 4 day a week pre-school, 3 hours a day. That was 3 years ago.

We've moved so for my DD I'm looking at a different pre-school. Its at the same Catholic school , DS attends. Its 3 yo pre-school, so its only 2 days per week, 2 1/2 hours a day and its $80.00/month.

We live about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

I live in Central MA - Worcester Area and average is around $130-150 a month. Now there are some like the Goddard School, Montessori Schools, and others that are MUCH more than that. We were happy with the care and curriculum we got/are getting from one that cost us $130 a month - DD4 goes M-W-F from 7:30 till about 11:15PM.

 

[Beth76]

My 2yo goes to a Mom's Day Out program which is $135 per month. He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for four hours each day. Those prices are comparable to most church-run MDOs and preschools. The private and Montessori preschools are about double that price.

 

[dcgrumpy]

The preschool I plan on sending DD to next year is $3150 a year. It's a Montessori program through the school District in the same building as the Kindergarten. They follow the same calendar as the other public schools, it's 2.5 hours a day.

 

[java]

I pay $260 a month for M_W_F 9-11:30AM and an extra $8 if he stays for lunch(an extra hour) This is a preschool with a daycare also- but his class is all just half dayers. Now that is high end here but I LOVE The school- he has only 6 kids in his class(hence the $260! or actually I should say because of the $260) We are in NJ. Average at other local schools run about $100 less.. but they don't have what I was looking for. My ds's favorite day is the day of the month that the music teacher comes in! He brings puppets and teachers them basic rhythm...

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I live in Central MA - Worcester Area and average is around $130-150 a month. Now there are some like the Goddard School, Montessori Schools, and others that are MUCH more than that.

You're certainly right there. Our daughter goes to Montessori preschool/daycare M-F 9am to 4:30 pm. We pay $895 per month.

 

[sugarpie]

I'm in Wisconsin. My daughter goes to preschool 3 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a day. I pay $155 a month. It is a private preschool.

There are also a lot of added expenses like providing snacks and drinks a couple times a month and $60 I spent on school supplies like glue sticks, Ziploc bags, disposable cameras, etc.

It's worth the expense to me. Her social skills have really improved and she loves it.

 

[ZuZugal]

I pay $100 per month for 3 days a week, 3 1/2 hours, structured preschool.

 

[ilovejack02]

It is such a difference between every school. When DS4 was 2 he went to mothers day out 2xs a week and it was 75 a month. He is now in a prek and they are 100.00 a month for 3 and 4 yr old classes, it is going up 10.00 a month next yr. It is a chruch funded preschool. Next yr he is going to different school for pre k and we are going to be paying 180.00 a month. I have a close friend that has her 3 yr old in a Montissori (sp?) preschool and it is 500.00 a month, the Episcopal schools in Baton Rouge are going to be somewhere around that i think. Catholic pre schools are around 180.00 ish month .

 

[packetminnie]

Middle of the country here. I pay 181/mo for TWR 9:30 to 2:30. It is a stand alone pre-school -- no daycare. When I was researching at the beginning of the year that price was about standard.

 

[DVC Jen]

I have been a preschool teacher for the past 11 years (out today because of ice). I teach 3 yr olds. We have two different options for preschool 2 days a week or 4 days a week. Each day is 5 hours long.

I teach a 3 yr old 4 day class - 20 hours a week.

A typical day for us is morning centers (2 active learning centers and 2 "play" centers that we rotate through) and then a bathroom break. Then lunch, a special (music once a week, PE twice a week and class chapel once a week). Playground time, bathroom breakand back up to the classroom for afternoon centers, snack and circle time.

On Wednesday mornings for about 20 minutes the spanish teacher comes to our classroom and teaches spanish and on Thursday mornings we join the other 3 and 4 yr old classes for a large group chapel time.

We have 2 adults (lead teacher and aid) per classroom and 12 students (17 tops for the 4 yr old classes) per room.

Now I am NOT 100% positive about this because I don't pay it - but I think tuition is very close to 300.00 a month.

I really wonder how any of the teachers that have 2 hour a day classes get anything done. Gosh it takes sometimes 30 minutes just to get all of our students in (lots of parents run late) and get them all settled, signed in and ready to go.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

WI here as well. We pay $90/mo for 2.5 hours 3 days/wk.

 

[sugarpie]

I really wonder how any of the teachers that have 2 hour a day classes get anything done. Gosh it takes sometimes 30 minutes just to get all of our students in (lots of parents run late) and get them all settled, signed in and ready to go.

My 4 year old is only in preschool for 2 1/2 hours a day and I'd gladly send her longer. I really don't know how they get anything done, but they do a lot of art projects, have music class once a week, go outside every day (I have no idea how they get 16 kids ready to go outside in less than 2 hours), have snack time every day, story time every day, and bible lessons (it's a Christian preschool) every day. Plus there's usually free play time.

I don't know how you do it. I'm glad there are people out there like you, willing to do such a trying job.

 

[EthansMom]

I'm in CT. Many of the preschool programs here cost $200-250/month for a typical 4 year-old program (3 4-hour days/week).

The Montessori schools and a few other private preschools are much more money... upwards of $5k per year.

In our area, most Kindergarteners have attended some kind of preschool. It's very rare for a child to start public kindergarten without having had preschool.

 

[JVL1018]

Last year was $195 for M/W/F 12:30-3:00 (PreK 3-4)

This year is $295 a month for M-F (PreK4-5) same hours as above.
MWF is regular preschool, T, TH is enrichment--they just do cool things like build ramps for HotWheels and learn about gravity and cool stuff like that--a little more in depth-I did that because technically my son could be in K, but his birthday is less than a month before the cutoff and he just was not ready, IMO. I wish he was-I could have saved $3000! LOL

But I figured he should be doing something more than the regular 3 day a week preschool.
This is in Bergen County, right outside NYC.

 

[RadioNate]

we got totally screwed.

$125 a WEEK m-f 830-1230

That included a snack and lunch.

don't miss that bill AT ALL!