Before choosing a kindergarten, public or private, you are faced with choosing the environment and quality you want to provide to your child.
Of course, in line with income.
Kindergarten development is essential for children’s development and preparation for social, emotional, and academic success.
Private kindergartens offer smaller classes with highly educated educators and provide you with a flexible and individualized curriculum, while public kindergartens are good for families who could benefit from financial support.
More than 3 million students in the United States are enrolled in kindergartens.
More than half of these students attend full-time programs, while the rest attend half-days.
In some states, public schools must provide kindergarten, while in others it is not mandatory.
Standard half-day programs last from about 3 hours, while all-day programs last 5-6 hours.
Average Costs
Depending on the location, some public schools offer full-day programs for free, while some charge between $1,000 and $5,500.
Since the fall of 2011, Bellingham Public Schools in Washington has been providing free full-time Kindergartens in all of its schools.
The same is in Rockford Public Schools in Illinois.
Denver Public Schools provide cost for Kindergarten in $400 (up to $320 for residents and up to $375 for non-resident) per month per child for full-day, for 2018/19.
Half-day Kindergarten is free.
Schools can provide tuition rates below cost because of additional funding sources such as Mill Levy and state funding.
For example, you have a family of 4 and your household gross monthly income (before taxes) is $3,850.
You are enrolling your child into a full-day Kindergarten program.
Your estimated monthly tuition rate is $93.
Annual tuitions in private school kindergartens range from $3,000 to $34,000, depending on the reputation of the school, qualifications, and expertise of teachers, number of hours, etc.
Private school Evergreen Christian School charges annual tuition (8th) of $8,140, for 2021/22.
Discounts can be obtained on the number of children attending Kindergarten.
For example, you will pay $814 for the first child in school, $733 for the second, $651 for the third, $611 for the fourth, and $570 for the fifth.
Additional fees are also possible:
- Before School Care (7:00-8:30 am): $111.00 Full-time/$84.00 Part-time
- $60.00 Drop-in Punch Card (5 punches at $12.00 per day)
- After School Care (3:15-6:00 pm): $207.00 Full-time/$140.00 Part-time
- $100.00 Drop-in Punch Card (5 punches at $20.00 per day)
- Special Extended Care Options: $12.00/day Late Start (8am-10am)
- $40.00/day Half Day (12pm-6pm)
- $25.00/sport After Sports Practices (5pm-6pm)
- SPORTS FEE $125.00 per sport
Kids Connection charges $16,952/year or $1,695 over 10 installments for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade, for 2021/22.
It charges the pick up of children differently, that is after school program costs are:
- Kindergarten (3pm pick up) – 5 days ($470), 4 days ($410), 3 days ($335),
- Kindergarten (6pm pick up) – 5 days ($775), 4 days ($700), 3 days ($660).
Kids Connection offers a 10% discount for sibling tuition and has a late fee.
A late fee of $20 per hour prior to 6 pm and $1 per minute after 6 pm will be charged for children picked up after their designated times.
Tuition and fees in Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School for 2021/22, for all Kindergarten – 8th-grade students is $5,299.
The following multi-child grants are available:
- $250 grant for 2 children,
- a maximum grant of $12,999 per family for three or more children.
Grants of $160 per child, up to a maximum of $320, are payable for school enrollment.
The fee does not apply to tuition.
Also, a fee of $275 is paid for students enrolled in Kindergarten until 8th grade.
Some additional fees are possible:
- Kindergarten-8th grade: $2,300 per year ($256/month) for full-time care, inclusive of before school care, after school care, and care on most “school’s out” days, September-May,
- $45 per day for dropping in on “school’s out” days,
- $15 per use for dropping in for before school care or after school care.
Additional Costs
- public kindergarten lunch costs in average $2.08, according to the School Nutrition Association,
- some private kindergartens include the cost of lunch intuition, but they can be an annual charge of $25-$1,000 or more,
- for low-income student bus service is free, and for other students, it costs in the range from $100-$325,
- Half-day Kindergarten pass for Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado costs $75-$100.
