Carmel/Zionsville Preschool Recommendations (daycare, how much, school district)

[krisbark]

We are relocating to Indy from Northern Virginia/DC in July. We think we have narrowed down our housing search to Zionsville or Carmel.

I'm looking for a Pre-K program for my four-year-old. I prefer it to not be part of a daycare center. Church based is fine. I'm hoping for a M-F program for about 3 hours each day.

In Virginia, waitlists start forming by now for fall registration. Am I going to run into that in Indy?

[domergurl]

It depends. I have friends who have their kids in the Goddard school in Z-ville. It has a daycare component, but I sent my oldest there 3 days a week/4 hours a day for preschool and I was very satisfied. It's costly, but she learned a lot and was overprepared for the half day kindergarten that Indiana has at this time (did you know about that???)

[krisbark]

If you don't mind, do you remember about how much it is per month at the Goddard School? I went to their website, but couldn't tell if they had a separate component. Thanks for helping me out on that.

We currently have half-day kindergarten here, too.

[domergurl]

I sent my daughter there during the 04-05 schoolyear and it was over $400 a month. For Indiana, that's a lot for 3 days a week/4 hours a day. It's probably about 500 now.

[chbartel]

My children go to Traders Point Christian School. My 4 1/2 year old loves it there. He will be going to full time kindergarten in the fall at Traders Point.

The school has been around for over 30 years and has a great reputation. They are building the brand new school/church at 334 and 65 intersection right now. It will have classes from pre-school through high school. In fact, I think my sons classroom gets moved over there in a few weeks.

It's costly, but well worth it. We will be paying approx $400/month for full time kindergarten this fall.

Trader's Points website is here:

http://www.tpcs.org/

[deam]

How are you doing - have you found somehting good. We might be moving later this year and I have only thought about elementary school for my son... not my daughter who is 3 1/2. Thanks for reminding me to add this to my list to figure out!!!
As one begins to leave a place - you realize the many benefits you had. In Germany the state provide "kindergarten" - our preschool for age 3-5 from 8 am to 5pm for a cost of roughly $100 per month!!! I will miss that.

[domergurl]

depending on the school district, you may have the option of free all day kindergarten, but chances are, you may have to pay for it if you want it. I have a friend who pays about 3K to send her kids to all day K in Carmel. She had one last year and now her second one starts this year.

[bookworm2768]

There is a really nice Montessori school next to the Carmel public library. Its in a church building but unafilliated with the church. The JCC in indianapolis and Carmel Starting Line preschool are known to be good too. If you do go towards montessori be very careful. Some of them are awful and there's one over in Castleton that is a nightmare