Kindergarten dilemma

jlaOK · August 2014

DS starts kindergarten next year and I just found out that the school district that we are building a house in has a lottery for 1 full day kindergarten class and the rest get half day kindergarten (which is really on 2.5 hours). Since half day is a complete waste for a dual working family DH and I need to have a back up in place in case DS isn't one of the 20 kids who gets a full day spot. Here are our options:

1. Keep DS at his current daycare. This is the most expensive option ($670 per month) and the furthest away from our new house (20 min drive one way) but DS is shy and he would benefit from staying at a place where he is comfortable. We'd also keep DD at this daycare ($1300 per month) for both.

2. Move both DS and DD to a new daycare closer to our new house. This would be $1150 per month for both of them and it is located 3 minutes from our new house. We will move DD there (unless we go with option 1) but that means that DS would be at a new daycare for a year before going to the public school at 1st grade. We plan on using this daycare for "schools out camp" on days that the public school is closed so he will have some exposure there eventually.

3. Send DS to the local Catholic school. We are Catholic and this school is affiliated with our church. It is $430/month for the 9 month school year plus some added cost for uniforms. Located 6 minutes from our new house. We hadn't planned on sending the kids to this school since we live in a really good school district and DH thinks that if we send him there for kindergarten that we should think about keeping him there (they go up to 8th grade).

We are completely torn on what to do. Cost and time are a factor but ones that we would easily deal with if it is the best thing for both kids.

What do you guys think?

litzo27 · August 2014

I would definitely do #2 assuming you like that daycare and they have a good K program. Unless DS has major anxiety issues he'll be fine with 2 transition. Especially since a lot of other kids from that daycare will probably end up in his school in 1st grade.
#1 sounds like a major headache with the driving. I have no experience with private schools so can't opine on #3.

Mustardseed2007 · August 2014

I would do option #2. It will help your son get to know the place, which I think is a good thing since you'll be using them for camps in the future.

MommaP12 · August 2014

I would also vote #2. You don't want the expense and drive of #1 and why start at the Catholic school if he's not going continue there, so # for sure, plus as others said he can get acclimated there since he'll be there for camp.

jlaOK · August 2014

PrivacyWanted said:

Have you looked into the after school care programs available for the PT public school program?

I was freaking out about 1/2 day kindergarten before too, though our district thankfully is going all year Kindy starting next year when DD starts. But then I learned most working parents did the after school program run by the YMCA on campus, or a private one that walks the kids the block to and from school. It was a lot cheaper than any of the DC programs.

I liked the idea of DD being in school with her classmates from Kindergarten on up.

I only asked about the program in school and the times aren't awesome. I need to call the option 2 daycare and talk to them. They are the closest daycare to the school and *hopefully* they'll have some sort of program.

shakinros · August 2014

Ugh, this is us in 3 years. Not a fan of half-day kindergarten. And though we picked our house because of the good school district, is never heard of half-day K before a few weeks after we closed. It didn't even occur to me that could be a thing!

I'd also go with option 2 and see if they link up with the school. I bet they do.

ajaan113 · August 2014

Things to think about... Half-day kindergartens offer AM and PM programs. Snow delay openings/closing, early release days, and other school events will impact the AM and PM kindergarten programs. DS is only 10 months. However as a public school teacher... I say send your LO to the private school for kindergarten if your LO does not get into the all day kindergarten. We have all day kindergarten with before/aftercare options so we are lucky. You can send your LO to your local school for 1st grade.

carlab44 · August 2014

jlaOK said:

PrivacyWanted said:

Have you looked into the after school care programs available for the PT public school program?

I was freaking out about 1/2 day kindergarten before too, though our district thankfully is going all year Kindy starting next year when DD starts. But then I learned most working parents did the after school program run by the YMCA on campus, or a private one that walks the kids the block to and from school. It was a lot cheaper than any of the DC programs.

I liked the idea of DD being in school with her classmates from Kindergarten on up.

I only asked about the program in school and the times aren't awesome. I need to call the option 2 daycare and talk to them. They are the closest daycare to the school and *hopefully* they'll have some sort of program.

Have you talked to other parents in your area to see what they do? Do you have a Boys & Girls Club? Just thinking there may be more options for after school care. We have one program on site, one next door at the Community Center, and the B&GC has vans and will pick the kids up.

itsmevkb · August 2014

As a product of Catholic schools and a mom who is sending her kids to Catholic school, I like option #3. However, if your school system is a good one (mine is not), then I might just as easily go with option #2.

I feel your pain with half-day. Sully starts K3 this year and it's some crazy time like 11:20 to 2:10. We still have no idea who will be taking him or picking him up on the days my husband works all day.

ss+el · August 2014

ajaan113 said:

Things to think about... Half-day kindergartens offer AM and PM programs. Snow delay openings/closing, early release days, and other school events will impact the AM and PM kindergarten programs. DS is only 10 months. However as a public school teacher... I say send your LO to the private school for kindergarten if your LO does not get into the all day kindergarten. We have all day kindergarten with before/aftercare options so we are lucky. You can send your LO to your local school for 1st grade.

I'm with this. DS went to half day PreK last year and combined they had a lot of late starts, early dismissals and snow days. It was tough figuring out where and when to be some days. I'd go with the option that gets him all day school.

We're also in a similar dilemma with Catholic School. We love ours, but not sure if we're actually going to continue with it long-term. We decided to go for it for now. We figure if DS switches to public school in a few years, he'll already know kids from the neighborhood, so it won't be completely strange.

jtmomma13 · August 2014

Option 2 for sure...even if he is a shy child. It's cost effective, closer to your home and you plan on using the center for summer care eventually. Why not get him started now and then he doesn't have two new transitions when he enters 1st grade.

jlaOK · August 2014

Thanks for all the responses. As of this morning DH and I were leaning towards option 1 but now I'm going to research option 2 some more.

I honestly assumed that all the K classes were all day and just happened to see the half/full option when I was looking at their school supply list in Target one day. Kindergarten is not required by my state (which I think is ridiculous) so I think schools do half day as a way to save money. I just can't imagine how some kids don't go to a full day of school until 1st grade. Crazy.

2-Step · August 2014

Mustardseed2007 said:

I would do option #2. It will help your son get to know the place, which I think is a good thing since you'll be using them for camps in the future.

I agree. We are in kind of the same situation. We just moved in May, DS is starting kindy this year, but he got lucky and got a full day spot from the lottery. I'm moving DS2 to a daycare closer to our new house and DS1 will go there on school breaks etc. Two things to consider. If the new daycare is in your district then those kids are probably the ones he will eventually attend public school with, so even though it is a transition, he may recognize the other kids that transition to public school as well. Second, a year is a very long time to a child, so what seems like a big transition will likely feel like worlds apart in his mind. He will have a full year at his new daycare before he moves on to another new school. If he were going to move to another school 3 months later I might say keep him there (which is what we did for the summer with my DS because I didn't want him moving to a new house, changing daycare and then three months later starting kindy). I think #2 sounds like the closest to what will work for all of you and he's going to have to get to know that daycare at some point anyway. Good luck, maybe you will get a spot and all will be well!

minirella · August 2014

If it were me, I would play the lottery but probably put our name on the list/pay the registration fee depending on that cost at option #2 just in case you didn't get a full-time spot.

MickeyM04 · August 2014

Holy crap, I didn't even know this was a thing. Just looked up our kindergarten and it's either 8-11:15 or 12:15-2:50 or some nonsense. UM HOW THE HELL IS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?

jlaOK · August 2014

MickeyM04 said:

Holy crap, I didn't even know this was a thing. Just looked up our kindergarten and it's either 8-11:15 or 12:15-2:50 or some nonsense. UM HOW THE HELL IS ANYONE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?

Yup. Ours is 9:15-11:48 or 1:18-3:51. How does a 5-year-old benefit from that little of school each day.

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