Pre-schools questions

Just realized I put this in the wrong category -sorry. Reposting in the right one. We are trying to decide whether to send our oldest to pre-school next fall. He will be 3 in September. We plan to go to public pre-K and then public schools for K-12, so we're just talking about that one year from 3 to 4. Yes, I know that the deadlines are in December/January, but I also know spots often open up, so... [more]

Just realized I put this in the wrong category -sorry. Reposting in the right one. We are trying to decide whether to send our oldest to pre-school next fall. He will be 3 in September. We plan to go to public pre-K and then public schools for K-12, so we're just talking about that one year from 3 to 4. Yes, I know that the deadlines are in December/January, but I also know spots often open up, so am not too worried about being late. So my questions for parents on this list: 1) Most pre-schools I've looked into in Manhattan are quite expensive - the math works out to $40-50 / hour or more. I suppose we could afford it if we really wanted to, but I don't really get what I am paying all that money for, especially since we are not looking for help with private school admissions later. So my question is - what do "normal" people that can't afford these prices do? Keep their kids at home until pre-K? Get some sort of financial aid? Something else? 2) On a related note, logic tells me there must be cheaper / more laid back alternatives, but I haven't encountered any. Where might I look for them? Specific recommendations in UWS / Hells Kitchen also appreciated. 3) There's a very real likelihood that we will buy an apartment in a different neighborhood and move at some point during the next academic year. I am sure our kid will be fine switching schools mid-year as a 3-year old. But how do the legalities and logistics work? Are we committed to the pre-school we start with for the full year? Can we find pre-schools in our new hood when we move? I am sure these are pretty stupid questions on this topic. I should probably be doing my own research elsewhere, but don't even know where to start. So recommendations on methods to research the above are also appreciated. Thanks in advance. [less]