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Hopkinton raises preschool tuition roughly $1 an hour after market review; projected additional revenue about $25,000
Summary
After comparing tuition and per‑hour rates across 20 neighboring preschools, the School Committee approved increasing Hopkinton's integrated preschool tuition to roughly $10 per hour (equivalent annual increases provided); the district estimated the change would generate about $25,000 annually.
The Hopkinton School Committee voted Feb. 13 to increase integrated preschool tuition rates to an hourly benchmark equivalent to about $10 per hour, following a market comparison of 20 area preschool programs.
The administration presented a multi‑step analysis: staff surveyed comparable programs in neighboring communities (20 municipalities used as the comparison group), standardized rates to a common per‑hour metric and showed where Hopkinton's three program structures — a 3‑year‑old AM class, a 4‑year‑old PM class and a 4‑year‑old "full‑day" (4.5 days per week) — ranked relative to peers. Hopkinton's current per‑hour rate fell in the middle for its shorter programs but ranked in the lower third for the largest, 4.5‑day program.
Proposed change and impact: equalizing rates to the $10/hour benchmark would move Hopkinton into the top third of comparable program costs for the full‑day slot. The administration modeled family impact and reported the approximate annual increases per family if the district adopted the $10/hour figure: about $400 per year for the 3‑year‑old program, $500 for the 4‑year‑old PM program and roughly $880 for the 4.5‑day program. District staff estimated the annual net revenue increase from the change at roughly $25,000.
The presenters noted the preschool’s integrated model — which includes children who attend under IEPs at no tuition charge — is not fully comparable to private preschools and that tuition subsidizes the program but does not cover total operating costs. Administrators said the preschool remains in high demand; a recent lottery drew more than twice the applicants available.
Motion and vote: The School Committee moved to set preschool tuition at the recommended level (expressed as the $10/hour metric) and approved the change by voice vote. The committee asked staff to return with any further financial details if needed.
The committee also discussed broader questions about capacity, demand and whether adding seats would require significant capital and operating investment; those larger issues were not resolved at the meeting.
