Would you pay for public school kindergarten?

[golfgal]

Wow, you got a bargain. Private school around here is about $11,000. Some church schools are subsidized down to about $7,500.

We paid $1100/year for our kids to attend a private Catholic school and the parents complained to no end about the cost .

 

[Jaime4004]

In NH, Kinder is not mandatory. Some places don't have public Kinder at all, some have half days, and some half full day. The last two are free for some towns and in some towns you ahve to pay for it.

As of last year, public kindergarten is mandatory in NH. It actually started 2 years ago and some of the towns (mine included) got an extension to start last year instead. 1/2 day of course, they are as cheap as can be...

I would not pay a public school for kindergarten, IMO, I already pay it in taxes. However, I would still want mine to go (if not offered public) and would pay for private instead (though whine about it a little ) Even though I would still have to pay, out of principle, I would not give it to the public school.

Fortunately, as I stated above, we finally have kindergarten. My DD was in it last year and did well, learned a lot, I think. As much as you can get out of 1/2 day anyway. DS started last month.

 

[C.Ann]

For a half-day program? No..

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

In fairness and in the interests of full disclosure, the schools that are charging or contemplating charging for Kindergarten are working with fairly affluent populations.

Our neighborhood school draws from one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Chicago. And no child was penalized in our school for not making the "donation." I know several parents who could easily afford to pay but didn't. The way that Chicago divides revenue among the schools is to try to concentrate some additional money where more services are needed. Therefore, a school with a higher poverty rate and more high-risk students gets more money than a school with low poverty and high achievement. I don't have a problem with the way the pie is divided. My problem is with the size of the pie.

The suburb that is contemplating the $5000 tuition is one of the wealthiest towns in the state. This is a town that will feed into a public high school that has exorbitant fees and requires students to purchase their textbooks. But the families that live there can afford it. So the school gets away with it.

The way we fund public education in most states is a disgrace.

As for those who would pay for private school, the least expensive private school in our area is $11,500 per year, plus fundraising and other costs. We're getting a better program in our public school.

 

[crzy4my2]

in my town parents are charged for full day kindy, but half day is free. we chose to do the half day and were happy with our decision.

This is like our town. At least it was when my kids went to Kindy(they are in 3rd and 2nd grades now)
Your option was free part time kindy. 2 1/2 days

Then what you could do was pay for the other 2 1/2 days (It was about $2,500 and this is what we did). They would go to one teacher for 2 1/2 days and another teacher for 2 1/2 days. My kids were used to pre-school so having two different teachers didn't effect them at all. The 2 1/2 days I paid for included lunch. The 2 1/2 days that were free, didn't include lunch.

OR I could pay $5,000 and they would go 5 days to one teacher and be bussed to a school that was not going to be their school for grades 1-4 and that did not include lunch..and I didn't care for the teacher or the school they would of been bussed too.

BUT if it was our only option I would pay it. I paid over 21,000 a year for the kids to go to daycare for only 3 days a week

 

[LuLuO]

$5000 would be tough for us to swing. If I felt the program was worth it and if it was all day then I might consider it because I do think that Kg is important. But I would certainly consider all of my options.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I lived in Chicago for awhile. It is the only place that I ever heard of that had book and activity fees. They were quite high. Something like 500. per kid. I did not have the money and found it very humiliating. You can't make public school come with fees. It then will become elitist. If only mid to upper income families can afford kindergarden and it provides advantages to children then their children will enter first grade more prepared. Also, the families who can't afford it also can't afford all of the extras needed to replace it. I could choose to not put my child in kindergarten but we'd be reading, not just library books but books we purchase because my child likes it. We'd go to the zoo and the science museum and do fun things. We'd probably join a play group with other similar parents for socialization. My child would enter first grade if they didn't have any developmental problems knowing thie numbers their letters, the letter sounds and basic little words.
Also, kindergarten is a great opportunity to screen children for disabilities and delays.

 

[postage stamp]

The school district where this is happening is in Wilmette. As SAD as I think it is I think it's probably for 2 reasons. Most people who live in Wilmette can afford to send their kids to private schools, and choose to do so, and those that don't can PROBABLY afford to pay the $5000 for kindergarten in a public school.

Does that make it right? No, probably not.

 

[Tiggeroo]

But you say most. Not all. I lived not far from Wilmette so I know what it is like. But in every neighborhood there are those who can't. You will be forcing people to become charity cases and beg to get out of the fee. Many won't. They'll just keep their kids home. I'd rather see them do something else, if they really can't afford things. Mke it a half day for everybody, for fee. Or raise taxes which will affect the people who can afford it as sad as that is. If most of the people send their kids to private school then the ones who don't may not be able to afford it. Also the school numbers should be better because they are receiving tax dollars for students who aren't there.

 

[postage stamp]

But you say most. Not all. I lived not far from Wilmette so I know what it is like. But in every neighborhood there are those who can't. You will be forcing people to become charity cases and beg to get out of the fee. Many won't. They'll just keep their kids home. I'd rather see them do something else, if they really can't afford things. Mke it a half day for everybody, for fee. Or raise taxes which will affect the people who can afford it as sad as that is. If most of the people send their kids to private school then the ones who don't may not be able to afford it. Also the school numbers should be better because they are receiving tax dollars for students who aren't there.

That's why I said it's not right. I think they probably think that the people who can afford it will A) not bat an eyelash at paying it, B) think "What a bargain since I pay 10K at the private school" or C) make a big stink about it and pay anyway, and enough WILL pay that they'll be able to offer a "scholarship program" to those who can't pay.

 

[cm8]

A suburban Chicago school district is trying to pass a tax referendum. If it fails, one of the options that they're purposing is to charge parents $5,000 a year for each Kdg student. Would you pay that or would you have your child skip their Kdg year in school?

In IL, Kdg is not mandatory to attend.

wow, we already pay school taxes, so is this in addition to what you pay for taxes?

 

[MoniqueU]

Not under normal corcimstances, the private k's are real reasonable. In hindsigt I should of put my oldest in private K with no cutoff date then sent her straight to first grade. Sje is so advanced on so many levels including socially that it would of been better for her. And no I don't consider her a snowflake, facts are facts.

 

[golfgal]

I lived in Chicago for awhile. It is the only place that I ever heard of that had book and activity fees. They were quite high. Something like 500. per kid. I did not have the money and found it very humiliating. You can't make public school come with fees. It then will become elitist. If only mid to upper income families can afford kindergarden and it provides advantages to children then their children will enter first grade more prepared. Also, the families who can't afford it also can't afford all of the extras needed to replace it. I could choose to not put my child in kindergarten but we'd be reading, not just library books but books we purchase because my child likes it. We'd go to the zoo and the science museum and do fun things. We'd probably join a play group with other similar parents for socialization. My child would enter first grade if they didn't have any developmental problems knowing thie numbers their letters, the letter sounds and basic little words.
Also, kindergarten is a great opportunity to screen children for disabilities and delays.

From previous threads here, many, many places around the country charge book rental fees and activity fees. In MN it is illegal to charge book fees but every school has some kind of activity fee and has since I was in high school.

The part that everyone is forgetting is that the people in this town can just pass their referendum and not have to worry about it either. People automatically assume that if the school is asking for more money they are wasting what they have but the reality is school budgets EVERYWHERE are suffering right now. Our district just had $15 MILLION cut from our state funding-due to NOTHING our district did. Before this cut our district was in the black and very financially healthy and had been for many years. We now have a referendum on our ballot and are am almost positive it will pass easily because families here SUPPORT our schools. They move to our are to attend our schools which is really a nice attitude to be a part of.

 

[HelenePA]

in our school (and most schools around me) there are no book fees, no lab fees, no activity fees, thru most of elem. school all you do is send your kid with a backpack, the school supplies, pencils, paper, folders, books, crayons, there is usually a SMALL fee for one of the field trips and by small I mean 2$, no bus fees, nada. I had never heard of supply lists til the internet, along with most of the other stuff I listed.

 

[taitai]

In our MN district, half-day is free but you pay ($4K) for full day. We have paid for all of our kids to go full day as do many, many parents around here. It is just the way it is here.

 

[daughtersrus]

I've read through the thread but instead of multi-posting, I'll just summarize my thoughts.

IL is having a HUGE budget crisis. The last that I heard, our district(not the one talking about charging the fee) is owed over $12M from the state. If they don't get that money soon, they're going to have to make some type of changes. We're operating on a budget with over a $4 M deficit even after $10 M was cut from the budget.

The district in the OP is considering charging the Kdg fee if the referendum that they're asking for does not pass. In IL, Kdg is not mandatory. I really have no idea how much, if any, money the state gives to school districts to fund Kdg.


I understand not wanting to pay for Kdg but since I've thought about it for a few days, it seems like it's similar to those children that go to PreK compared to the children that don't go to PreK.

If the referendum passes, the burden will be spread to all taxpayers with or without children. If it doesn't, the burden may be put on the families with Kdg students.

Either way, it's not a good situation.

 

[HelenePA]

I've read through the thread but instead of multi-posting, I'll just summarize my thoughts.

IL is having a HUGE budget crisis. The last that I heard, our district(not the one talking about charging the fee) is owed over $12M from the state. If they don't get that money soon, they're going to have to make some type of changes. We're operating on a budget with over a $4 M deficit even after $10 M was cut from the budget.

The district in the OP is considering charging the Kdg fee if the referendum that they're asking for does not pass. In IL, Kdg is not mandatory. I really have no idea how much, if any, money the state gives to school districts to fund Kdg.


I understand not wanting to pay for Kdg but since I've thought about it for a few days, it seems like it's similar to those children that go to PreK compared to the children that don't go to PreK.

If the referendum passes, the burden will be spread to all taxpayers with or without children. If it doesn't, the burden may be put on the families with Kdg students.

Either way, it's not a good situation.

for most of us (me!) it wouldn't be not wanting to pay it, it would be trying to come up with the money for it.. I'm so glad I dont have to worry about that. How sad would it be to make that choice send your kid to k or they will be so far behind in school they are going to pretty much be behind at least a year..