How much to pay teacher to drive kids to/from school?

[Anonymous]

The fact that you're providing childcare for her as well makes it complicated and more of a trade rather than a service you're buying. I'd still pay her - offer $150 since she declined $200 due to needing childcare.

Just an anecdote - we did a carpool with a neighbor like what you describe and it's always trickier than you expect it to be. I hope this works out for you but probably best to have a back up plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids (2 elementary, 1 preschool) go to a private school and busing is expensive. We've done carpool in the past but it cuts into our work schedule and we are trying to avoid it. We have a friend who is a teacher there with 2 elementary school kids of her own and she lives a few blocks from us and drives back and forth anyway. I asked if I could pay her to drive my kids back and forth and she agreed but we are not sure about a fair price.

Busing for 3 kids would be $390 a month, so it has to be less than that. One afternoon a week, I will pick up and keep her kids with me for 2 hours, so she wont have to pay a sitter.

Any suggestions?

You have 3 kids in private school but can't afford $390 a month to get them there? Are you on tuition assistance? Have you asked if they can waive the charge for bussing too?

We stretch ourselves as far as possible to pay for our childrens school. If we had no other choice, we would pay for busing as well, but we are trying to save money where possible. Also, I don't love the idea of the preschooler going on the bus, even with his older siblings to help him.

[Anonymous]

$300 a month You are asking a lot of the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids (2 elementary, 1 preschool) go to a private school and busing is expensive. We've done carpool in the past but it cuts into our work schedule and we are trying to avoid it. We have a friend who is a teacher there with 2 elementary school kids of her own and she lives a few blocks from us and drives back and forth anyway. I asked if I could pay her to drive my kids back and forth and she agreed but we are not sure about a fair price.

Busing for 3 kids would be $390 a month, so it has to be less than that. One afternoon a week, I will pick up and keep her kids with me for 2 hours, so she wont have to pay a sitter.

Any suggestions?

You have 3 kids in private school but can't afford $390 a month to get them there? Are you on tuition assistance? Have you asked if they can waive the charge for bussing too?

We stretch ourselves as far as possible to pay for our childrens school. If we had no other choice, we would pay for busing as well, but we are trying to save money where possible. Also, I don't love the idea of the preschooler going on the bus, even with his older siblings to help him.

Its also a $15K school, not a $30K+ school, so $400 a month is a lot extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$200 seems fair. $10 per day.

$200 is what I initially offered but then she needs someone to watch her kids, which would cost her $~$80 a month otherwise, so we were trying to adjust. Maybe $160 - $40 a week?

Any suggestions for ground rules/contract language I should use? We aren't doing an official contract but I just want to have set up what to do for sick days, dr appts, changes, etc.

You are going to have to suck it up and drive your own kids some days. Teachers get sick a lot and take a lot of days off for their own kids. Plus all those teacher work days she has to go in to work and your kids have to stay home. So she isn't responsible for any of those things, you need a backup plan. I wouldn't deduct her pay for any of the above events unless she is like sick all week, then skip paying for the week. But if she is sick Tuesday I would suggest pay her the normal amount you agreed instead of adjusting it by 80%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$200 seems fair. $10 per day.

$200 is what I initially offered but then she needs someone to watch her kids, which would cost her $~$80 a month otherwise, so we were trying to adjust. Maybe $160 - $40 a week?

Any suggestions for ground rules/contract language I should use? We aren't doing an official contract but I just want to have set up what to do for sick days, dr appts, changes, etc.

You are going to have to suck it up and drive your own kids some days. Teachers get sick a lot and take a lot of days off for their own kids. Plus all those teacher work days she has to go in to work and your kids have to stay home. So she isn't responsible for any of those things, you need a backup plan. I wouldn't deduct her pay for any of the above events unless she is like sick all week, then skip paying for the week. But if she is sick Tuesday I would suggest pay her the normal amount you agreed instead of adjusting it by 80%.

We know we'll have to drive sometimes and that's fine. We just cant commit to every day. I wouldn't deduct for a sick day or holiday but probably wont pay the week of winter break, or other full week of vacation/no driving.

[Anonymous]

I can't even begin to guess but I will offer that my high schooler drives to school (is picked up at the door) with a senior who charges each kid $2 a ride. That's less than they'd pay on Metro and is much more convenient so it works.

[Anonymous]

$50-75/week. Don't charge her for watching her kids. Agree that this will likely be more complicated that you think.,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

She is driving to the school anyways since she teaches there, why are you paying her milage. The only consideration is payment for the inconvenience to her. I'd offer like $10 a week.

Come on, would you really accept to take care of THREE kids on top of your for $40 a month..... I would need to have problem putting food on the table to do that.
I would do $150 if you bring the kids, $200 if she comes and pick them up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

She is driving to the school anyways since she teaches there, why are you paying her milage. The only consideration is payment for the inconvenience to her. I'd offer like $10 a week.

Come on, would you really accept to take care of THREE kids on top of your for $40 a month..... I would need to have problem putting food on the table to do that.
I would do $150 if you bring the kids, $200 if she comes and pick them up

I had missed the babysitting part so I would pay $100 if you bring the kids, $150 if she comes and pick them up
+ pay the amount if she is sick one day, but talk about the price in a per week terms (as opposed to per month) so that if she cannot do it for a week, you don't pay for that week.

[Anonymous]

Will the school allow that? My son's private school didn't allow parents to pay teachers for anything outside of school like babysitting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal mileage reimbursement rate is 56 cents a mile. That's supposed to cover wear and tear on her car, and gas. I'd do that for the mileage, plus a flat fee per day for her time and effort.

If the school is 10 miles away, mileage would be $11.20 a week.

Add a flat fee of $10 a day, minus the one day you pick up, and that would be another $40 a week.

So $51.20 a week minimum. Adjust as you feel is fair.

She is driving to the school anyways since she teaches there, why are you paying her milage. The only consideration is payment for the inconvenience to her. I'd offer like $10 a week.

Going cheap like this will make the deal unsustainable. You are paying for reliability, too. If it's not worth her while, she may quit halfway through the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The federal mileage reimbursement rate is 56 cents a mile. That's supposed to cover wear and tear on her car, and gas. I'd do that for the mileage, plus a flat fee per day for her time and effort.

If the school is 10 miles away, mileage would be $11.20 a week.

Add a flat fee of $10 a day, minus the one day you pick up, and that would be another $40 a week.

So $51.20 a week minimum. Adjust as you feel is fair.

Your math is wrong. 10 miles (20 round trip) - 11.20 per day (subtracting the one pick up) add in the $10 flat fee (minus the one day) is $90.40 a week.

[Anonymous]

So you may save $190/month but also have the complicating factors listed in previous posts. Is there anywhere else in your budget you can save $190ish and just continue with the bus service?

[Anonymous]

I would say $200 a month and throw in the babysitting for free for the added trouble this is going to be.