Q: What are your Parent / Co-op Requirements?
UMCPB offers 2 levels of parent participation; or optimal flexibility to meet your family’s needs. Tuition is adjusted based on the level of participation:
Full Co-op
- Assist in the classroom approximately 1 day/week
- Assume a school job
- Participate in two school maintenance days/year
- Attend 2 parent meetings per year
- Assist with UMC Annual Fundraising Auction
Non Co-op
- No classroom or school job requirements
- Participate in two school maintenance days/year
- Attend 2 parent meetings per year
- Assist with UMC Annual Fundraising Auction
Q: What ages can my child attend UMCPB
Children ages 18 months to 4 years, as of September 1st of each school year, are eligible to attend UMC.
Q: I am unsure of our plans for next fall, can I still hold a spot?
Application acceptance packets will be sent at the end of February. To secure your space for the Fall, UMCPB must receive your Enrollment Agreement and Tuition Deposit within 2 weeks of acceptance packet sent date. Once received, your child will have a confirmed space in the specified program. Tuition Deposits are non-refundable. If you choose not to pay the Tuition Deposit within the 2 week time frame, we will release the spot for another child. We will continue to welcome and enroll students as space and safety allow on a first come, first served basis.
Q: Tell me about the Maintenance Days and Parent Meetings?
Maintenance Days
As a Co-op school, we strive to create community and to keep tuition costs low. One way we do this is by asking one parent/guardian per family to give their time and talent to help maintain and improve the school grounds. We expect each family (regardless of participation status) to complete 2 School Maintenance Days per year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. If for some reason at least one parent/guardian is unable to attend one or more of the Maintenance Days, families can discuss a project option of the teachers’ choice as an alternative. As a last resort, there is an optional ‘buy out’ of $125 per Maintenance Day.
Parent Meetings
Part of our ongoing commitment to UMCPB families is to offer 4 continuing education events (Parent Meetings) per year. We expect each family (regardless of participation status) to attend 2 Parent Meetings per year, at least one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester. These parent meetings often provide invaluable information and we really encourage families to attend. However, we are aware that sometimes prior commitments make attending difficult.. If at least one parent/guardian is unable to make the commitment, there is a ‘buy out’ option of $75 per meeting.
The commitment for both Maintenance Days and Parent Meetings is at the family level. If you have multiple children enrolled in the school, you will only be required to participate as 1 family (i.e. not duplicate effort).
Q: Will there be snacks provided by the school?
Currently children are bringing food and/or snacks from home. We are beginning to add snack making back into our Preschool and PreK classes one day per week. Our goal is to bring back more days of snack making at school when it is safely feasible to do so.
Q: Does my child need to be potty trained?
Your child does not need to be potty trained, but we ask that you bring diapers and an extra set of clothes for your child to be kept at the school.
Q: What happens if I have twins or two children enrolled at UMCPB? Do I have double jobs/co-op commitments?
Parents/guardians with more than one child have a choice. Full Co-op status would mean taking one job but working two different days (1 day in each class or 2 days in the same class). If Non-Co-op, the parent/guardian is not required to work in the classroom or take a school job. You may combine (Full and Non Co-op) to work 1 day in class and have 1 school job. All families regardless of co-op status and number of children are expected to attend 2 Maintenance Days and 2 Parent Meetings.
Q: What are my chances of getting in?
Online registration begins in mid-November for all returning families and new families who have attended a school tour. The deadline for applications is January 31st. Priority is given to current students returning to UMCPB, and any remaining spots will be awarded based on a lottery system for all applications received prior to the deadline. Application acceptance packets will be sent out at the end of February. After that, we continue to accept applications and admit students on a rolling basis.
Q: What is the cost of attending UMCPB?
UMCPB charges a $105 non-refundable registration fee upon processing your application. Once accepted to the program, a registration form and a non-refundable deposit equal to one month tuition must be returned within 2 weeks of application acceptance notification. If this is not received by that date, UMCPB will release the spot to another child.
Please see our Tuition Schedule for the monthly cost information specific to each program.
UMCPB has a limited amount of financial assistance available to families who demonstrate a need. Please email president@umcpreschool.org for more information on our confidential process.