Do most preschools have hard rules about age for entrance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most preschools start at 2.5, not 2, so I'm surprised you're even finding a place where you could try to negotiate this.

I do sympathize though - we'll have my oldest DD start KG when she's not 5, rather than having her to an extra year of preschool. Her preschool is part of a preK-8th private, and for the first preschool class, you need to be 3 by the end of the calendar year. So she started when she was 2 (almost 3) for 1st year of preschool, is starting the 2nd year of preschool at 3 (almost 4), and then will enter KG when 4 (almost 5). We still have the option of her just doing a 3rd year of preschool if something dramatically changes and the teachers feel she's not ready - but seems rather unlikely.

I'd look for a private with a Dec 31st cutoff.

NP. Would you mind sharing the name of your private? We're in the same position but having trouble finding a private with a cutoff of Dec. 31st.

Sure, it's St Jerome's in MD. The Bluebirds in VA also have flexibility for age cutoffs, and they're part of a larger private school that can have your kid start KG at 4, almost 5, if academically ready & mature. It's the director's call, with your and the teacher's input.

Sure -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Licensing rules change dramatically when kids hit 2, for example, in MD you need 1 teacher for every 3 kids at 1, and 1 for every 6 kids at 2. You also can't have any stairs between the door of the classroom and the outside if you have kids under 2. All of these rules go by the age of the youngest kid in the room.

If a preschool starts at 2, they aren't going to meet the licensing criteria for under 2, so even if he/she's 1 year 364 days they won't take them. However some schools will let a kid start late, while other schools who have enough applicants to fill all their spaces won't bother with that.

The other issue, is that many schools like to move their kids through as a cohort. So, they like all the kids in their 4's class to be eligible for Kindergarten the following year. If your child starts at 2, they'll need 4 years of preschool, while their classmates will leave after 3. This can get complicated, and some schools don't want to deal with it.

This is OP. I was already planning the DC would take the early entrance test for K. Four years of preschool would totally suck.

Each of our kids has done four years of preschool. Such is life when you miss the cutoff. Your kid isn't even two and you're talking about early entrance tests? You sound a bit much. Let your kid grow and have some fun.

[Anonymous]

The Montessori School of McLean has a December 31 cut-off but licensing requires that the child be potty-trained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Licensing rules change dramatically when kids hit 2, for example, in MD you need 1 teacher for every 3 kids at 1, and 1 for every 6 kids at 2. You also can't have any stairs between the door of the classroom and the outside if you have kids under 2. All of these rules go by the age of the youngest kid in the room.

If a preschool starts at 2, they aren't going to meet the licensing criteria for under 2, so even if he/she's 1 year 364 days they won't take them. However some schools will let a kid start late, while other schools who have enough applicants to fill all their spaces won't bother with that.

The other issue, is that many schools like to move their kids through as a cohort. So, they like all the kids in their 4's class to be eligible for Kindergarten the following year. If your child starts at 2, they'll need 4 years of preschool, while their classmates will leave after 3. This can get complicated, and some schools don't want to deal with it.

What!? Ratio is 1 teacher for every 8 kids here and we've got plenty of stairs. Wish I lived in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Licensing rules change dramatically when kids hit 2, for example, in MD you need 1 teacher for every 3 kids at 1, and 1 for every 6 kids at 2. You also can't have any stairs between the door of the classroom and the outside if you have kids under 2. All of these rules go by the age of the youngest kid in the room.

If a preschool starts at 2, they aren't going to meet the licensing criteria for under 2, so even if he/she's 1 year 364 days they won't take them. However some schools will let a kid start late, while other schools who have enough applicants to fill all their spaces won't bother with that.

The other issue, is that many schools like to move their kids through as a cohort. So, they like all the kids in their 4's class to be eligible for Kindergarten the following year. If your child starts at 2, they'll need 4 years of preschool, while their classmates will leave after 3. This can get complicated, and some schools don't want to deal with it.

This is OP. I was already planning the DC would take the early entrance test for K. Four years of preschool would totally suck.

Each of our kids has done four years of preschool. Such is life when you miss the cutoff. Your kid isn't even two and you're talking about early entrance tests? You sound a bit much. Let your kid grow and have some fun.

When I was little, most kids didn't even start preschool until three. Your kid is only getting four years of preschool because you're putting them in preschool before they turn two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Licensing rules change dramatically when kids hit 2, for example, in MD you need 1 teacher for every 3 kids at 1, and 1 for every 6 kids at 2. You also can't have any stairs between the door of the classroom and the outside if you have kids under 2. All of these rules go by the age of the youngest kid in the room.

If a preschool starts at 2, they aren't going to meet the licensing criteria for under 2, so even if he/she's 1 year 364 days they won't take them. However some schools will let a kid start late, while other schools who have enough applicants to fill all their spaces won't bother with that.

The other issue, is that many schools like to move their kids through as a cohort. So, they like all the kids in their 4's class to be eligible for Kindergarten the following year. If your child starts at 2, they'll need 4 years of preschool, while their classmates will leave after 3. This can get complicated, and some schools don't want to deal with it.

What!? Ratio is 1 teacher for every 8 kids here and we've got plenty of stairs. Wish I lived in MD.

How do they get 8 babies down a flight of stairs in a fire?