Right now our boys go to a private Montessori preschool a few blocks from our house. DS1 will be 4 in April and goes 5 days a week for 3 hours. DS2 is 2 (will be 3 in October) and goes to the toddler program twice a week for 2 hours.
The board has decided to discontinue the toddler program next year in favor of opening another preschool classroom. While DS2 won't reach the minimum age (3) for the preschool classroom until his birthday in the middle of October, he is close enough that they will take him as long as he is potty trained by the first day of school in late August. Preschool tuition for both boys would be $5,040 for the late August- early June school year, however due to my internship and class schedule next year I would also have to pay for childcare 2 afternoons a week durning the school year and 1-2 full days a week during breaks and summer vacation, this would cost an additional $2,174 a year. So Montessori plus the needed additional childcare is $7,214 for the year. The cost of backup care for snow days is not included and their are lots of them, since the Montessori closes if the public schools are closed or on a 2 hour delay. This preschool is also a co-op and requires 15 volunteer hours a year as well as supply donations (toilet paper, plates, cleaning supplies) each month in addition to the tuition.
If we choose this option I will do 8 hours of my internship during the week when they boys are at the Montessori/ the sitter's and the remaining 16 hours on the weekend when DH can stay home with the boys. I'd also have class 1-2 nights a week.
We could also send the boys to a local daycare center that also has a nice (and separately available) preschool program. The cost for preschool and aftercare 3 full days a week would be $7,987 for the entire calendar year and includes the extra cost of DS2 staying in the potty learning room from June to October. We would save $57 a month in Sept and October if he was potty trained by Sept 1st. This center has only closed for a snow days 2 in the last 5 years.
This option would allow me to do my entire internship while the boys are at the center, but I would still have 1-2 classes in the evenings each week.
Should I choose the Montessori even though I will be SOL and completely without childcare in the mornings if he is still in diapers in August (we had this stress at the beginning of this school year with DS1 and I'm not sure I want to go through that again...) The back up care required for snow days is also problematic and I'm not thrilled that DS2 would have to go 5 days a week at such a young age. (DS1 was 3.5 when he started going 5 days a week. DS2 wouldn't even be 3 yet.)
Or would you go with the daycare with preschool that allows for less flip flopping and changes in caregivers throughout the day (as well as more family time) and is almost always open even though it doesn't completely match up with your educational philosophy?
Sigh. I was really hoping that they would keep the toddler program so I didn't have to make this decision.
The board has decided to discontinue the toddler program next year in favor of opening another preschool classroom. While DS2 won't reach the minimum age (3) for the preschool classroom until his birthday in the middle of October, he is close enough that they will take him as long as he is potty trained by the first day of school in late August. Preschool tuition for both boys would be $5,040 for the late August- early June school year, however due to my internship and class schedule next year I would also have to pay for childcare 2 afternoons a week durning the school year and 1-2 full days a week during breaks and summer vacation, this would cost an additional $2,174 a year. So Montessori plus the needed additional childcare is $7,214 for the year. The cost of backup care for snow days is not included and their are lots of them, since the Montessori closes if the public schools are closed or on a 2 hour delay. This preschool is also a co-op and requires 15 volunteer hours a year as well as supply donations (toilet paper, plates, cleaning supplies) each month in addition to the tuition.
If we choose this option I will do 8 hours of my internship during the week when they boys are at the Montessori/ the sitter's and the remaining 16 hours on the weekend when DH can stay home with the boys. I'd also have class 1-2 nights a week.
We could also send the boys to a local daycare center that also has a nice (and separately available) preschool program. The cost for preschool and aftercare 3 full days a week would be $7,987 for the entire calendar year and includes the extra cost of DS2 staying in the potty learning room from June to October. We would save $57 a month in Sept and October if he was potty trained by Sept 1st. This center has only closed for a snow days 2 in the last 5 years.
This option would allow me to do my entire internship while the boys are at the center, but I would still have 1-2 classes in the evenings each week.
Should I choose the Montessori even though I will be SOL and completely without childcare in the mornings if he is still in diapers in August (we had this stress at the beginning of this school year with DS1 and I'm not sure I want to go through that again...) The back up care required for snow days is also problematic and I'm not thrilled that DS2 would have to go 5 days a week at such a young age. (DS1 was 3.5 when he started going 5 days a week. DS2 wouldn't even be 3 yet.)
Or would you go with the daycare with preschool that allows for less flip flopping and changes in caregivers throughout the day (as well as more family time) and is almost always open even though it doesn't completely match up with your educational philosophy?
Sigh. I was really hoping that they would keep the toddler program so I didn't have to make this decision.
