Compared to the Seattle median
Alki Co-op Preschool
The deal
Tuition
See Enrollment and Tuition on site
Part-week morning sessions. Co-op median: $120/mo
Your time
Typical co-op pattern
Classroom participation, board or committee role. Co-op median: ~10 hrs/mo
Co-ops trade dollars for hours. Both are real. Whether the math works depends on what your schedule allows — a full-time job with no flexibility makes the time cost expensive in a way the dollar cost doesn’t capture. Hours below are the typical pattern across Seattle co-ops; this co-op’s exact commitment is on their site.
Strengths
Parent visibility
Classroom workday rotation
You see your child’s actual day, not a daily report. Almost no center program offers this.
Tradeoffs
Schedule fit
Part-week morning sessions
Not full-time care. Families with two working parents typically layer this with a nanny share, grandparent days, or a part-time center.
Age range
Toddler through Pre-K
No infant program. Families using this co-op move on at kindergarten, often to public school.
When you can’t make a shift
Trade with another family
No paid substitute pool. Missed shifts get covered by trading, or occasionally a small fee.
Not yet answered
Hour flexibility
Shortlist hasn’t sourced this.
Ask at pickup
“Can volunteer hours be done outside school days — weekend cleaning, evening committee, summer prep?”
Board structure
Shortlist hasn’t sourced this.
Ask at pickup
“Who actually decides curriculum and hiring — the board, the lead teacher, a vote?”
Missed shift consequences
Shortlist hasn’t sourced this.
Ask at pickup
“What happens when a family genuinely can’t make a shift — is there a fee, a trade system, something else?”
Alki Co-op Preschool holds an Early Achievers Level 3 rating. It runs a 2.5-hour day, shorter than full-time care, with monthly tuition starting around $81. Enrollment is rolling, with openings typically posted starting in winter.
Watch this provider — Shortlist will email if anything changes.