Preschool Costs - Does This Sound Right?

Normally preschools calculate how much it is going to be for the enitre year and then divide it by the the months just like Katie B said. My son is in preschool and he goes three times a week. We pay his tuition (its a private school) on the 1st and 15th of every month. We still have to pay his tuition on the 15th even tho that is their last day and he wont be at school for the rest of the month. Its just how it is... A little annoying but how it is.

Yes, as others have said this is pretty much the norm. It drove me nuts as well until I got really involved in my child's preschool and am on the Board (we are a parent co-op) and I found out the director is still paid during the time off and the bills still need to be paid if you are there or not. The only month we prorate is August...otherwise families pay the full amount each month. I've heard most day cares are the same way.

I know with our daycare, it's in the contract that we pay even if it's closed for holidays. Do you have a contract with the preschool? Our daughter takes a class 1 day a week, and we pay 1 price for the whole year. (it's through our church) so I"m not sure how much a regular preschool would be, but based on daycare, it sounds right.

I think everyone here is correct, and I want to give you a little insight behind the process of coming up with tuition amounts for preschool. Or, at least, mine. I operate a small half-day preschool; we run 3 days a week and do take vacations.

First, I calculate all the days of my school year (I run during the conventional Sept-June) I will be open and running. I do not include my days closed, holidays, etc. Then I have to factor in my employee (myself) cost per day, based on an hourly wage, and this includes the planning and prep times outside of operating hours. This is all calculated into one lump sum for the year. Then, I add in the costs for insurance/ required business expenses, projected materials and snacks expenses for the year, and ALL of that is added to the first sum. This is then divided into equal monthly installments, and then divided into the number of slots I am offering for enrollment. This makes fees fair and predictable for my clients, who sign a school-year contract, and makes my income predictable as well. This can be a reason for confusion for families who are looking for short-term care, but over the long term, is a reliable way to run this business.

You still have to pay for the entire month. The teachers/staff still have to get paychecks. :-)

I'm not completely positive about yours, but most of the daycare centers I have talked to say that they calculate how much the total cost will be for the year of services and then divide it by the number of months when they are figuring out their rates for the year. This way you pay the same amount each month, as opposed to paying for the number of days each month. So that would be normal.

Ours did that too. I couldnt wait for my daughter to start kindergarten. We did preschool for 3 years too. It drove me nuts when they were out of school some months more than they were in. It happened to us in March too. Our preschool follows the school districts days, so if the regular schools were off for conferences then the little kids were off too, even though they didnt have conferences.
It is just one of those things where you have to take a deep breathe and let it go. Or look for a school that doesnt follow those guidelines. They still have to pay the teachers vacation pay, so they need to get their money somewhere. I just looked at it like a donation :-)

This is the norm. Even if there is a vacation period, the teachers and staff and rent ect.... still have to get paid. If they only charged everyone for half the month they would not have enough to cover the bills! My preschool lets you opt out of paying for 1 week out of the school year, and we used that this month (child can not attend that week, but can be used during a no school week), but I know that is a perk offered at this school, and most others do not even offer that.

You may not like it, but just because the location is closed, for whatever reason, they are still paying bills for overhead costs and taxes and employee things. Things that don't stop just because the building is closed for those days.

As many said, alot of preschools and centers calculate the yearly cost and divide out for monthly or bi-monthly rates. I do home childcare and for me, I get paid holidays but my vacation and illness days are unpaid.If parents are ill or they go on vacation, I still get paid, just as you likely do at your program. They plan for you to be there and to get paid for it. They still have to pay the electric bill and the rent and such.

Most child centers, daycares or preschools or even classes, you pay based on enrollment, not attendance. You sign up and pay for that spot to be reserved for you..not just for the days you are there in the building. That is the agreement you make. Again, sucky for you since you signed on at the end of what is their "year" and will have to re-up with supplies and such soon (weird too for a school-situation..most go Sept-June, with a summer session as well).

Is it preschool (church) or private daycare? If preschool then you still pay for the month even though they are not there for a chunk of it. My daughters preschool is the same , really not sure about private daycare although I would like to think they prorate it.

Unfortunately, I have never heard of prorated day care. You pay the same everymonth whether there are holidays, your child is sick or on vacation.

I read everyone's replys and I don't like it! I believe them regarding what they wrote, but I agree with you that it is very unfair! I feel like the teachers should not get paid for those 2 weeks of xmas break. I would not want to pay tuition over a time period where there is no school! I take my 2 year old to a recreation center in Lewisville. I just paid his tuition for December, and it was less money, due to the preschool being closed for xmas break. So, there ARE places that prorate! Rec centers should always prorate b/c they are nonprofit. I would find another place for your child's daycare. Try a rec center!

I am a teacher at private schools, and this is how it goes at both. I am NOT paid for "days off" but for the number of instructional days plus workdays & in-service days. The salary I receive is divided into 12 equal installments by the school because that makes it easier for them, NOT because I am getting "something for nothing!" Maybe a babysitter by the hour is what you're looking for....

As others have stated, most preschools determine how much it will cost for the entire school year and then divide that amount by the number of months in the school year. Otherwise it would become an accounting nightmare. Just about every month would have a different tutition rate because each month would have a different amount of school days. Then you would have the parents who would think that they shouldn't have to pay if their child was unable to attend due to illness or other obligations. However the school would still have to pay the teacher, pay for utilities, pay for the supplies that were provided had the child been there, etc.

If you have questions, go talk to the director about it. I am sure that they had to make a budget to come up with the tutition rate. You might talk to them about maybe prorating the supply fee that you paid for the fall term but that probably should have been discussed before you registered.

Also I have worked at a couple of preschool programs and I can assure you that I have never been paid for any day I did not work, so your child's teacher is more than likely going to only be paid for 4 days during the month of December.

So all though it sounds unfair, if they charged the way that you would like, the tutition for the full months would be a lot more than what you are currently paying.

Almost all preschools we have been involved with, and there have been a hand full, both preschool and daycare varieties charge by the month, holidays or not. It stinks, but we pay the same whether they are there all month or half the month. There is only one in our area that I know of that charges by the day, and they let you know that up front.