So, here we are. Two weeks away from kindergarten registration and the situation is grim! It would appear now that the information I was given by the principal at the beginning of the year has changed. The county-wide class size limit for kindergarten is supposedly 22, but they will raise that to 27!!!!!!!!! for us next year. My mind cannot fathom one teacher, part time aide, 27 5 year olds all day long! Our principal is expecting a huge enrollment due to a couple factors, the first of which being free full day kindergarten. Added to this attraction is the before and after school care that will be available and the end of the kindergarten program the most popular day care center near the school.
Our plan is this: we are going to enroll Em in the school where I taught. The class size limit for kindergarten is 15 and they have 15 openings! The tuition is not outrageous - $2650 for the year for half day K. Most other private school around here are hitting the $4500 mark, so this is reasonable. Doable for us? We'll be tight!! This school has a half day program that includes art, music and P.E. as well as daily outdoor recess, something the public half day program claims to not be able to "fit in" to their day. I've never really understood why?? As a first grade teacher, I found that at least 95% of my students came to me reading, half of them reading fluently, so I'm not overly concerned about Em academically. She will also have a friend in her class who will be returning to the same public school the following year (possibly two friends).
In my heart, I would love to send her to the public school. It's where Kt is, she has been anticipating her bus ride, eating lunch at school, being with all her friends, etc. I just don't think I can accept that huge class size, though. At such a crucial developmental stage I am having a difficult time coming to terms with that number. What do you think????
I will also be registering her for public school. Should the class size end up not being an issue, I would send her there and we would eat the registration fee. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel like the private school might be best for Em. I wish I had all the info, but I don't. What I do have, I don't like!! What a dilemma!!
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