Our preschool has operated as a parent cooperative on the same site since 1940. While a professional teaching staff runs the program, member families own the school and are responsible for the administration and maintenance. This helps keep tuition low and allows parents to become fully active in their child's education. It also serves to build a strong sense of community among the families in the school.

Basic obligations of co-op families are:

Participation
A parent or grandparent must participate one day per week for each child enrolled in the preschool. You are responsible for arriving on time, supervising and cleaning up your assigned area, and then attending a brief "end of the day" meeting with the teachers. Also participating parents should expect to bring snack once every 6 weeks. In addition to working once a week, you are also responsible for signing up for an "On-Call" day once a month.

Family Jobs/Board Position
All families are required to hold an administrative position. These jobs vary but the average time commitment is 30 hours during the regular school year. Some administrative jobs, such as board chairs and committee positions, have more responsibilities and offer a tuition credit.

Membership Meetings
At least one family member must attend the monthly membership meeting. These meetings occur during the evening on the first Wednesday of the month.

Maintenance Work Party
At least one family member is required to attend a Saturday work party once every three months, in addition to one "all hands" work party during the school year.

Fundraising
Each family is required to raise $200 for the school by participating in fund-raisers held through out the school year. There is an option to buy out of this obligation.

Publicity Hours
Each family is required to contribute 4 hours of their time at an ECPC community-building and promotional activities held throughout the year. The requirement for families with two enrolled children is 6 hours.