Registration
Registration is Now Open!
Registration
We are currently opening our registration for the 2024-2025 school year! Register before June 1st, and get $25 off your registration fee. Our Early Bird registration fee is $75, and $100 for families with multiple children.
Registration forms will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. Returning families must be up-to-date on their current tuition account in order to reserve a spot in a class for next year. Please note that registration fees are nonrefundable.
We have navigated our registration process to an online portal called Jovial, which is designed for cooperative preschools to manage online payments and more.
For more detailed information email
Click here to download our proposed Tuition Rates & Annual Fees for the 2024-2025 school year.
Please note that tuition rates and annual fees may change slightly for the upcoming school year as we finalize the 2024-2025 school year budget.
Enrollment for this school year is ongoing, so please reach out to registrar@kmcoop.org to schedule a school tour.
FAQ
What are your tuition rates and other fees? What do these fees cover?
Click here to download our proposed 2024-2025 Tuition Rates & Annual Fees. Please note that tuition rates and annual fees may differ slightly as we finalize the 2024-2025 school year budget.
Annual fees include the Registration Fee, which covers the cost of insurance and reserves a spot for your child, and the Classroom Supplies Fee, which covers the cost of things like art and sensory activity materials, hygiene supplies, cleaning and sanitizing supplies, first aid kits, and more. All KM families will have the opportunity to participate in fundraisers where a portion of the proceeds will go towards your Classroom Supplies Fee balance, which becomes due in May.
Please note that at the beginning of the school year in September, we ask families to pay both the first and last month's tuition. Please see our full Tuition Policy on page 16 of our Policies & Procedure Handbook.
What is a co-op preschool?
A cooperative preschool is run by parent volunteers. For every class at Kent Meridian, caregivers are expected to volunteer in the classroom every week. This allows us to provide an adult-to-student ratio that is appropriate to preschool-aged children, while keeping the cost of tuition accessible for our families. In addition to volunteering in the classroom, we have a board that consists of our Co-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Vice Chair/Fundraising Chair, Publicity Chair, Webmaster, Class Presidents and various other members. Please contact cochair2@kmcoop.org if you have any questions about how our preschool board is run.
How often am I expected to volunteer in the classroom?
Our volunteer commitment in the classroom does vary slightly depending on the class. For our Baby & Me class, caregivers remain with their little ones in the classroom. Our Tiny Tots and Toddler Playtime classes are designed for caregivers and their children to participate in together. Half of our weekly class sessions you will be working with your child in the classroom, and the other half will be spent with our Parent Education Instructor, allowing your little one to work through separation anxiety and gain independence. Our Little Learners and Pre-K classes require a minimum volunteer commitment averaging once per week. In addition, you will be required to attend a monthly Parent Education session the first Wednesday evening of the month. Reach out to registrar@kmcoop.org if you have further questions.
Can I drop off my child?
Our Baby & Me, Tiny Tots and Toddler Playtime classes are for caregivers and their children, so they must attend all weekly class sessions. Our Little Learners and Pre-K classes operate with a partial drop-off system. Please see our Classes page for more information on caregiver commitments for each class.
How do you handle big feelings in the classroom?
We welcome all feelings in our classroom. Every child will face hard moments at times. Both teachers and parents/caregivers can assist a student with age-appropriate co-regulation and self-regulation techniques. No matter what big feelings are happening in the classroom, we always teach three very important rules at our school. We keep our friends safe, we keep our things safe, and then we keep ourselves safe.
What if my child has a hard time being dropped off?
If your child is enrolled in one of our partial drop-off classes (Little Learners or Pre-K) and is struggling at drop-off time, you are welcome to stay in the building either in the classroom or in our Parent Education room down the hall to ease them into their independence. The next class you can try staying in your car in the parking lot before eventually leaving for small intervals. Our teachers are happy to help you work through this separation anxiety with your child throughout the year.
Do I need to commit to a classroom volunteer job?
Each class has several jobs parents and caregivers can volunteer for. Jobs include, but are not limited to, Class President, Class VP, Classroom Volunteer Scheduler, Health & Safety Officer, Classroom Historian and more. We do ask that any parent who is not already volunteering on the Preschool Board to take on a classroom volunteer job. Parents sign up for their classroom jobs at our All School Orientation in September.
How does the annual classroom cleaning work?
In order to keep the cost of our school more accessible to our families, we ask that families participate in a classroom cleaning once a year. Each class will have a designated date on the school calendar in the evening to come to the classroom without their children and assist in sanitizing toys, deep cleaning the classroom, organizing and restocking. As an incentive for families to attend their assigned date, we will charge families who are no-shows $100 to their Jovial payment account 24 hours after the cleaning date. If you know ahead of time you cannot attend on your assigned day, you can simply agree to attend another class cleaning on the calendar.
What is your school calendar?
Our detailed school calendar will be sent out via email before the beginning of the school year. As a guideline, we generally follow the Kent School District's calendar for school breaks and vacations. We start classes the first full week after Labor Day in September, and conclude the school year the week before Memorial Day in May. Throughout the year, we hold fundraising events, picnics, class cleanings, field trips and other school activities, which will be indicated on your calendar sent out before the beginning of the year.
Is my child required to participate in fundraising?
As a not-for-profit organization, we depend on fundraising to keep our school up and running. We hold all-school fundraisers throughout the year. In addition, families have the opportunity to use our individual fundraisers to raise funds to cover their Classroom Supplies Fee. Families can opt to simply pay their portion directly to the school, or rally their friends and family to participate in various individual fundraisers throughout the school year where a percentage of their total will go towards their Classroom Supplies Fee. Please reach out to fundraising@kmcoop.org for more information.
How do you prepare kids for Kindergarten?
We focus our time on social emotional awareness and classroom etiquette skills during Pre-K. Interactive, imaginative play brings ample opportunities for children to collaborate with their peers and build friendships, all while working and learning together. Small muscle and fine motor skills are strengthened as students work on their letters and numbers in their own time, artistic expression emerges as children discover their own voice, and real world skills are honed through play. Please see our Pre-K class description for more information.
What do your Parent Education sessions entail?
Our Parent Education sessions are designed to guide parents and caregivers as they navigate their parenting journey. We discuss child development, parenting styles and strategies, as well as create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone to share the challenges and joys of parenting and caring for young children. For more information on Parent Education session commitments, please visit our Classes page.
Are you affiliated with the church you are located at?
No, we are not a religious organization. We rent space from the church where we are located.
Can I bring my baby when I volunteer in the classroom for my toddler or preschooler?
We are happy to welcome younger siblings to accommodate families and their childcare needs. We encourage baby wearing to keep your littlest one safe from the older children's activities and off the floor.
Do you accept students midyear?
Yes, we do. Please reach out to registrar@kmcoop.org to inquire about class availability.
Who runs the school? Who can join the preschool board?
Kent Meridian Cooperative Preschool is run completely by a board of parent volunteers, in addition to our paid teachers. We meet once a month and we welcome all parents to take on a board position. Email cochair1@kmcoop.org to inquire about open board positions.
Why is your tuition more affordable than drop-off preschools?
We work together as a community to volunteer in the classroom, not only to nurture the relationship we have with our own children, but also to keep our adult-to-child ratio at an age-appropriate level. In doing so, we are able to assist our teachers and keep tuition rates as accessible as possible for our families.
Do you have a Parent Handbook?
You can download our Policies and Procedures Manual here.
Do you have a copy of your By-Laws for parents to see?
You can view our By-Laws here.