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

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

OP again

School is approx. 15 mins away and our kids are all friends and mine are pretty well-behaved in general.

[Anonymous]

I'd say half what you pay now - another 30 for the childcare which is about 170. I assume she has to also walk some of the kids to class and get them all in to school besides the driving.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say half what you pay now - another 30 for the childcare which is about 170. I assume she has to also walk some of the kids to class and get them all in to school besides the driving.

She needs to walk them out of the parking lot into the school, but not to class. The elementary school kids will walk my preschooler to his class.

[Anonymous]

Are you dropping your three kids at her house or does she have to come to your house and pick them up? What about in the afternoon?

[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.

+1 This sounds like a logical and fair amount to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you dropping your three kids at her house or does she have to come to your house and pick them up? What about in the afternoon?

We are dropping the kids off at her house in the morning, bc there is some traffic in our neighborhood coming in our direction. She will drop the kids back off at our house in the afternoon.

[Anonymous]

$200/month seems fair to me.

[Anonymous]

Does she drive a van? Does she have space for all the kids/car seats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she drive a van? Does she have space for all the kids/car seats?

Yes a van and we'll give her an extra car seat and booster.

[Anonymous]

$200 seems fair. $10 per day.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

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?