A clearer picture of preschool costs.

A preschool lists tuition at $350 a month. Before you can decide whether it fits your family, you need a few more details: how many mornings your child attends, how many payments you will make, and what you pay before the first day.

For a full school year billed in ten payments, $350 a month means $3,500 in tuition. A separate $100 deposit would bring that school total to $3,600. A program billed for twelve months would have a different total, even with the same monthly price.

Preschool cost depends on the program, schedule and payment calendar. At Spark Academy in Morton, current preschool choices run from $100 a month for Fresh 3's Fridays to $600 a month for five mornings of 3's or 4's Preschool. Kindergarten Prep and Kindergarten have their own rates. These are Spark's prices, not an estimate of what every Central Illinois school charges.

The useful question is: what will this particular plan cost, and what will your child's days look like?

Put the same time period on both sides.

Start with the dates you want to compare: the school year, the months remaining after a midyear start, or a full calendar year. Write down each program's attendance days, arrival and pickup times, and school breaks.

A morning preschool and a full-day care arrangement cover different parts of your family's day. If your child needs care after preschool, include that arrangement in your plan. Think through pickup, lunch, rest and who will be with them afterward. Our preschool and care comparison guide can help you consider those transitions.

For each option, ask for these amounts in writing:

• Tuition for the period you chose. Confirm the number of payments and whether a weekly or monthly rate follows a school calendar or a year-round calendar.
• Required charges outside tuition. Ask about deposits, registration, supplies, meals, trips and other required fees. Record only charges that actually apply.
• Care and travel outside the school schedule. Include any paid afternoon, school-break or summer arrangement your family needs, plus transportation costs you expect to incur.
• The payment and cancellation terms. Ask when money is due, whether a deposit is credited toward tuition, and what happens if your plans change.

Do not count the same deposit twice. If a school credits it toward tuition, it changes when you pay that portion. If it is additional to tuition, it belongs in the total as a separate charge.

The California Department of Social Services' parent guidance on paying for care also recommends checking extra fees and policies for absences. Those are useful questions wherever you live; its California price figures are not a Central Illinois estimate.

What does preschool cost at Spark?

The examples below use current rates checked November 1, 2026 and ten monthly tuition payments for a full school year. They include one additional $100 non-refundable deposit per child. Confirm the schedule, start date and current tuition with us before enrolling, especially when planning a future school year.

One preschool morning each week

Fresh 3's Fridays is $100 a month for Friday mornings, 8:30–11:30 AM. Ten payments total $1,000 in tuition; with the separate deposit, the full-year school total is $1,100.

This is a complete preschool morning with purposeful play, learning and friendships. Children can begin when they turn three, subject to availability and the program's potty-training requirement.

Two, three or five preschool mornings

For 3's Preschool, the current choices are:

• Two mornings: $350 a month; $3,500 in tuition over ten payments, or $3,600 including the deposit.
• Three mornings: $450 a month; $4,500 in tuition over ten payments, or $4,600 including the deposit.
• Five mornings: $600 a month; $6,000 in tuition over ten payments, or $6,100 including the deposit.

Mornings run from 8:30–11:30 AM. Two-day choices are Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday; three-day choices add Friday. The five-morning rate is $600, not the sum of the standalone class prices. There is one deposit per child, including when classes are combined. We will confirm your preferred mornings and availability personally.

4's Preschool has the same monthly rates for two, three or five mornings: Tuesday/Thursday, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or Monday–Friday. Its ten-payment tuition totals and separate deposit follow the same examples above.

Looking ahead to Prep or Kindergarten

Kindergarten Prep is $400, $500 or $650 a month for two, three or five mornings. Kindergarten is $700 a month for five mornings. Both run 8:00 AM–12:00 PM. Their birthday requirements differ; compare the program pages with your child's age and intended start date.

Core tuition is billed over ten months. A midyear start is a different calculation: partial starting months are prorated from the child's first attending day. Ask us for the amount due at enrollment and the remaining payment schedule. No pay-in-full discount applies to starts during the current school year.

What is already included in the morning?

At Spark, tuition covers teachers, curriculum, daily enrichment, school supplies, art materials and daily snacks. Your child can explore materials, make something, share a snack and join the learning planned for their attendance days without a separate school supply list.

The $100 deposit is additional to tuition and is not credited toward it. These are morning school programs; full-day or extended care is not included. A clear budget keeps those two facts alongside the all-inclusive tuition figure.

When comparing another program, ask what its price includes. An extra fee does not tell you whether a school is a good fit, and a higher price does not establish quality. Notice the relationships: how adults respond when a child needs help, how learning happens through the day, and whether your questions receive clear answers. Our preschool tour guide offers specific things to look for.

Ask about assistance before assuming your final cost.

Spark accepts Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funding for all five core programs. Eligibility, approved schedules, covered charges and remaining family costs depend on the applicable program decision. Acceptance does not mean automatic approval or full tuition coverage.

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood's CCAP page explains eligibility factors and links to the application and local Child Care Resource and Referral support. For school-specific next steps, visit our financial-assistance page.

Keep the school's full charges and any confirmed assistance in separate lines of your plan. Until your approval and family responsibility are clear, leave the assistance amount marked “to confirm.” That keeps an estimate from looking like a promise.

A free worksheet for comparing two options.

Our one-page Preschool Cost Comparison Worksheet gives you space to record two schedules, tuition for the same period, additional charges, outside care and the questions still unanswered. It includes a separate line for confirmed assistance and the amount your family expects to pay.

Download the free Preschool Cost Comparison Worksheet — PDF, 1 page.

You can also make the comparison on plain paper: write the period at the top, total each option's tuition and additional costs, then note confirmed assistance separately. Bring the unfinished questions to the school before making a commitment. You do not need to share your family budget to ask about tuition.

Questions families ask about preschool cost.

Is the lowest monthly tuition the least expensive option?

Compare the full period and the hours you need. Fewer payments, included materials or a workable pickup plan may change the total. A low monthly amount that requires another paid arrangement afterward may not be the lowest overall cost for your family.

Does a deposit reduce what I owe in tuition?

Ask each school. At Spark, the $100 non-refundable deposit is additional to tuition and is not credited. There is one deposit per child, including combined classes.

Do we pay for ten months if we start partway through the year?

The examples above describe a full school year. For a later start, ask for your child's actual remaining charges and payment dates. Spark prorates a partial starting month from the first attending day; do not use the full-year example as your midyear bill.

Can we start with fewer mornings?

Compare the available programs with the rhythm that works for your child and family. Fresh 3's Fridays offers one preschool morning each week; 3's Preschool offers two, three or five. Additional days depend on availability, so confirm options with the school rather than assuming a later change is guaranteed.

Bring the numbers and the questions to a visit.

A useful preschool budget should leave you clearer about both the cost and your child's day. Picture the morning: a familiar greeting, time to build and explore, a teacher who notices when help is needed, and a pickup plan your family can manage.

Explore Spark's programs or schedule a tour. Bring your child and ask us to walk through the program, start date and payment schedule together. We will help you understand the options before you decide.