Pre-K

Mrs. Theobald · February 2012

How does this work? I never really thought about it b/c Ava's daycare has a Pre-K and I always thought that I would just send her there. But then I noticed on their sign they are a private Pre-K. What does that mean in terms of funding? Are there public Pre-K programs that would free or at a reduced costs? And if so, where do you find those. Please enlighten me!

myrall · February 2012

Georgia Pre-K is free. What you pay for is before/aftercare if necessary. Many of the programs are in the elementary schools you're zoned for. Some are in daycare centers. GA Pre-K has a fixed curriculum and a defined set of parameters. The big problem is space availability. Lotteries start months in advance for the more popular areas. You can find lists of all the GA Pre-K approved facilities/classes at decal.ga.gov.

Private Pre-Ks are free to set their own curriculum and are funded by the tuition charged. Because they're more expensive, the slots aren't necessarily as full.

We'll be attending the private Pre-K at our current daycare. The price, for us, shakes out to be just a tad over what we'd pay at a GA Pre-K class with before/aftercare. Also, the GA Pre-K location at the elementary school we're zoned for doesn't offer before/aftercare. So I was looking at the GA Pre-K classes up near me at Georgia Tech. I got wait listed for spot at one over 6 months ago and we probably still won't get in.

susangilchrist · February 2012

From my understanding (I taught special needs preK and we did inclusion with a state-funded prek class), State funded pre-k classes are free and paid for by the lottery program. You have to get into the prek lottery drawing to score a space. Private Pre-K classes are ones you have to pay for yourself. They don't necessarily use the same curriculum, so students from those classes may be ahead or behind of the students in the state-funded program. It depends on the school, class, teachers, curriculum, etc. We once had a student from a private pre-k move into the state-funded class. She was WAY behind her peers in a lot of areas. Then again, had she been from a different private school, it may have been different. Our state-funded pre-k was in a public elementary school. There are also some at day-cares. Not sure exactly how to find them all, but I'm sure there's a website.

maykat · February 2012

I would check to see if your daycare is part of the GA Pre-K program. If it is, then the tuition would be free during Pre-K hours (generally 8-2:30) and you would just have to pay for afterschool care. If it's not, then you have to pay regular tuition.

Our daycare is part of the GA Pre-K program but is a private daycare. They do have to open the Pre-K up to the general public, but daycare students get first dibs.

I will say that we pulled my son out of our daycare and put him in the public Pre-K program in our neighborhood. I'm so glad we did because it has allowed him to build relationships with the kids he will be going to kindergarten with next year.

auburnbride2be · February 2012

I have learned about this over the past few months and we are in the same situation. You can go to the GA PreK website and search for state funded PreK programs in your area. I'll say that there aren't that many and those in our area are not at centers I really want to send DD to. If we didn't need after school care too, that wouldn't be an issue, but since DH and I both work and can't get to daycare until about 6pm each day, it makes a difference. Another thing I did was compare the cost of doing Private PreK where we are and moving her and the savings was about $50-75 per week. I am 99% sure we are keeping DD in private PreK. I have also talked to other moms who recommended a private program if you can afford it just because of a better curriculum beyond the minimum required by the state. Good Luck!

seansgirl2006 · February 2012

I live in Acworth like you and I can tell you that there are many in our area. You just need to look for schools that advertise "GA Pre-K". Also, it's not totally free but almost (and way cheaper than paying for regular daycare or preschool). You do have to pay for lunch every week. That may be different in the elementary schools but Cobb does not do GA Pre-K in elementary anymore (only special ed Pre-K). My school charges $25 or $30 a week and that is the most they can charge anywhere as regulated by Bright from the Start. You don't always have to get in a lottery to get picked for a class. My preschool is a church preschool. We have two lottery funded Pre-K classes. We had priority registration for the kids that are currently in our 3 year old class last week. 18 of them are moving up to Pre-K next year. They get first dibs. Some people enroll their child in a certain preschool just so they will get priority when the time comes. Next Monday is registration for the public. We have 26 spots left and then will add people for the wait list. The whole wait list deal was not bad at all (at least last year) around here because there are so many GA Pre-Ks in the area. Also, many people sign up on several lists to see where they get in and then cancel or don't show up in Aug. This is my 2nd year teaching it and we had at least 5 no shows in each class the first week and called wait list children to get them in right away. I hate that people are so bad about letting us know if they are not coming. It makes a wait listed child not get to start on the first day with everyone else. Anyway, you know where to find me on FB if you want more info about any of them in our area. Although I don't want to think about our babies being in Pre-K!

myrall · February 2012

seansgirl2006:
My preschool is a church preschool. We have two lottery funded Pre-K classes.

I was told by our daycare - which is an extension of the church it's attached to - that GA Pre-K doesn't allow religiously affiliated facilities to offer the GA Pre-K program. Is your church preschool PART of the church or just renting the facility of the church?

seansgirl2006 · February 2012

myrall:
seansgirl2006:

My preschool is a church preschool. We have two lottery funded Pre-K classes.

I was told by our daycare - which is an extension of the church it's attached to - that GA Pre-K doesn't allow religiously affiliated facilities to offer the GA Pre-K program. Is your church preschool PART of the church or just renting the facility of the church?

From what I understand, part of the funding our preschool receives is rent for the two rooms that they use here. I think that all programs get that though? Not sure. We do not do anything religious in the program, same as public school. They offer chapel to the entire preschool on Tuesdays but it is after dismissal and optional. We do a moment of silence just like public school too. I know we are not the only church preschool in our area that offers GA Pre-K. Our preschool is part of the church and the other church preschool I'm thinking of is the same. We have the same name as the church and everything. When I went to training there were others like us. I don't think it matters that we are a church preschool, we have the same rules as other preschools and just can't teach religion like they do in the other classrooms.

slwprincess · February 2012

GA Pre-K was a major deciding factor for us in our most recent daycare selection. Personally, I'd prefer to send him to private pre-k where he was but financially, that wasn't going to happen- not w/ Sophie in daycare too! I needed a center that could provide part time care for Sophie and GA PreK w/ before/after care for Gavin and that was conveniently located for our commute. I also knew I wanted to avoid doing another double drop off and I really didn't want Gavin having to ride a bus to/from daycare. Once I looked at the options, my choice was crystal clear- there's only one place that met all those criteria even tho it costs us a fortune right now! Basically, we're paying more now so we can save more later and the benefit being that Gavin will have a guaranteed spot in their GA Pre-K in the fall. If I hadn't enrolled him now, we would have been on their lottery list which is a mile long. Is she supposed to start GA Pre-K in the fall? If so, get busy girl... most of them up here have already started having their info sessions and started their lotto lists.

KT&John · February 2012

The daycare my kids attend has both a private Pre-K and a GA Pre-K program. There was a meeting at the school last night to go over the differences between the two.

The things that stuck out for me the most are that the GA Pre-K program follows the school calendar, but there have been cuts to the budget so GA Pre-K now has only 160 school days versus 180 for the rest of the public school grades. It has not been determined how many days will be in the budget for GA Pre-K for the 2012-2013 school year. I work PT so on the days there is no school and I work we will have to pay the drop-in fee for Cadence to go to daycare. This is based on availability since she will have a GA Pre-K spot and not a slot in the daycare itself. This worries me a little, because I feel like I don't have definite child care in place, but I know it will most likely work out fine.

Also, the GA Pre-K program is 6.5 hours from 8:30-3 and you can not bring them late or pick them up early on a regular basis or they will be removed from the program. The private Pre-K allows flexible schedules..as in you can send them 5 days 9-12 or 3 full days or whatever you choose, if they have availability. I think 8:30-3 is a long school day for a 4, so this appeals to me a bit. Then again, my kid almost never naps anymore, so she can likely handle it. They do offer a 1 hour rest/nap period at the beginning of the year and end the year with 1/2 hour of nap time.

For us, we are going to go with the lottery funded program. We plan to allow C to start in the public school system and if we ever feel her educational needs would be better met in a private school setting we will switch her.

Good luck exploring your options!

seansgirl2006 · February 2012

KT&John:

The daycare my kids attend has both a private Pre-K and a GA Pre-K program. There was a meeting at the school last night to go over the differences between the two.

The things that stuck out for me the most are that the GA Pre-K program follows the school calendar, but there have been cuts to the budget so GA Pre-K now has only 160 school days versus 180 for the rest of the public school grades. It has not been determined how many days will be in the budget for GA Pre-K for the 2012-2013 school year. I work PT so on the days there is no school and I work we will have to pay the drop-in fee for Cadence to go to daycare. This is based on availability since she will have a GA Pre-K spot and not a slot in the daycare itself. This worries me a little, because I feel like I don't have definite child care in place, but I know it will most likely work out fine.

Also, the GA Pre-K program is 6.5 hours from 8:30-3 and you can not bring them late or pick them up early on a regular basis or they will be removed from the program. The private Pre-K allows flexible schedules..as in you can send them 5 days 9-12 or 3 full days or whatever you choose, if they have availability. I think 8:30-3 is a long school day for a 4, so this appeals to me a bit. Then again, my kid almost never naps anymore, so she can likely handle it. They do offer a 1 hour rest/nap period at the beginning of the year and end the year with 1/2 hour of nap time.

For us, we are going to go with the lottery funded program. We plan to allow C to start in the public school system and if we ever feel her educational needs would be better met in a private school setting we will switch her.

Good luck exploring your options!

This is all really good info but just know that a lot of that depends on the preschool itself or how the teacher wants to do it. For example, we are only allowed to let them rest for an hour maximum (GA Pre-K standards/rules) but don't have to phase it out and go down to half an hour if we don't want to. That is up to the teacher or if the preschool sets it.

The 160 days may not be as big of a difference next year. The Gov has proposed to give back 10 days so that we would only be cut 10 (so Pre-K would have 170 and the county 180) but we are still waiting to hear. Everything we are hearing makes it sound like they think it will go through but who knows. At my preschool, they always offer "School's Out Camp" on the days that we are not in session but the school itself is still open. If you find a GA Pre-K at a preschool with more extended daycare type hours, then they should offer Before Care or After Care when the actual Pre-K day is not in session. My school opens at 6:30 AM and closes at 6:30 PM.

KT&John · February 2012

Thanks Ingrid!

I should have been clearer..I was relaying what I learned about our center's programs, but some of it can be applied to the private versus GA Pre-K programs in general. For example, some private programs may offer more flexibility in scheduling where the GA Pre-K program is 6.5 hours. Always good to hear from someone on the inside

The care on the days school is off is a little wonky for me because I only need it on M, T, Th 9-12:30 days I go into the office). We do not need to use the Before/After care option so they will not be holding her a spot and will take her on a drop-in basis as available. Like I said, it should not be a problem...I hope not anyway!

seansgirl2006 · February 2012

KT&John:
Thanks Ingrid!

I should have been clearer..I was relaying what I learned about our center's programs, but some of it can be applied to the private versus GA Pre-K programs in general. For example, some private programs may offer more flexibility in scheduling where the GA Pre-K program is 6.5 hours. Always good to hear from someone on the inside

The care on the days school is off is a little wonky for me because I only need it on M, T, Th 9-12:30 days I go into the office). We do not need to use the Before/After care option so they will not be holding her a spot and will take her on a drop-in basis as available. Like I said, it should not be a problem...I hope not anyway!

I'm sure it will work out, sounds like a good plan. It is nice that there is flexibility with schools being able to set their own schedules and calendars but then also confusing for parents when they are trying to decide and don't realize the differences. I don't mean you, we had other people like this. Good luck!

Good luck!

Want a personalized experience?

Pre-K

Re: Pre-K

Choose Another Board

Search Boards