As the time to think about next school year rolls around, you may have questions about the application, admission, and enrollment process. Our goal is to answer some of those questions here. Please email any additional questions to Schwartz ECS.
FAQs:
How does the application/enrollment process work?
For families new to Schwartz ECS
- We offer school tours any time of the year. Please email Schwartz ECS to schedule a tour.
- We open for new family applications shortly after our priority window for currently enrolled families, typically in late January/early February, and the primary application window closes approximately one week later.
- New families must submit an application and the application fee* for each child they wish to enroll by the deadline. Notification of acceptance is sent in late February, and accepted families have 48 hours to submit supplemental paperwork and the nonrefundable last month’s tuition prepayment to secure their child/children’s space.
- If a spot is not available for your child, your name will automatically be moved to our waitlist for that age group. If a space for your child does not become available by the end of August of the school year you applied for, the $200 application fee minus a $50 administrative fee will be refunded to you via check. If we are able to offer you a spot during the program year, and you decline or do not accept it, the $200 application fee will not be refunded.
- We also welcome new families to apply throughout the year and we accept new children as space permits.
For families currently enrolled in Schwartz ECS
- Families with children currently enrolled in Schwartz ECS may reenroll their child and/or submit a sibling application during our priority enrollment window, which typically opens in mid-January.
- For continuing children, reenrollment must be completed within the priority enrollment period to guarantee the space, otherwise the child may be moved to a waitlist.
- Sibling applications must be accompanied by the application fee* and submitted by the deadline to be considered during priority enrollment, otherwise the child may be put on a waitlist.
- Siblings will be admitted as space allows, and families have until the end of the reenrollment period to complete the supplemental paperwork, which will secure the sibling’s spot and charge the nonrefundable last month’s tuition prepayment to the family’s payment source on file.
*application fee is non-refundable unless we cannot offer the child a space in our program, in which case SJCC will issue a full refund less a $50 processing fee.
How many classes do you have for each age group?
This varies yearly based on the current school composition and how many children continue with us year-over-year. We work each year to accommodate as many families/children as possible while retaining optimal teacher-to-student ratios in age-appropriate spaces.
How many open spots do you have in each class?
This varies yearly based on the current school composition and how many children continue with us year-over-year. We work each year to accommodate as many families/children as possible while retaining optimal teacher-to-student ratios in age-appropriate spaces.
Do you have to be Jewish to attend Schwartz ECS?
No. The SJCC seeks to be the Puget Sound’s most open and welcoming community-centered Jewish organization. We welcome all families who are eager to be a part of our Jewish values-based Schwartz ECS community.
Do you have to be a SJCC member to enroll in Schwartz ECS?
No. SJCC membership is a benefit that is included with Schwartz ECS enrollment.
How do you decide which new families to admit?
Priority for enrollment goes first to currently enrolled children, then to siblings of enrolled children, then to new applicants. Considerations for admission for new applicants include reasons for choosing the Schwartz ECS and application date, among others.
What if we don’t get in?
We regret that we don’t have enough space for every child and family that wants to attend the Schwartz ECS. For those who are not admitted, we invite them to stay on a waitlist, as occasionally a space will open up mid-year. When that happens, we contact the families on the waitlist and offer them the space.
How is tuition determined?
Every year ahead of enrollment, we set our tuition rates, looking to other quality early childhood programs—Jewish and secular—as a guide, and considering the journeys of the families our program.
Is financial aid available?
Tuition assistance is available through a confidential process. Email tuitionassistance@sjcc.org for more information.
Securing Your Child’s Spot: Final Program Month Tuition Prepayment 2025-2026
For all children enrolling in the Schwartz Early Childhood School for the 2025-26 school year, prepayment for the final month of your program selection (June 2026 for 9-month programs; August 2026 for 12-month programs) is required to secure your spot and cannot be applied to any other tuition payment. Under no circumstances will this tuition prepayment be refunded, even if you withdraw before the scheduled end date of your program selection. Because this tuition prepayment holds this spot for your child for the entire program year, there will be no partial refund of the tuition prepayment for schedule reductions. Your final program month tuition prepayment will be charged on March 5, 2026, for the 2025-26 school year. If you withdraw your child from the 2025-26 school year at any time after you accept a space for your child the full amount of the final program month tuition prepayment will be charged upon receipt of your withdrawal notice.
Withdrawal/Refund
Thirty (30) days’ written notification is required to withdraw from the Schwartz Early Childhood School. The current month payment will be charged as usual and will not be prorated for any partial month. Your final program month tuition prepayment cannot be applied to the current month. Neither the current month tuition nor the final program month tuition prepayment are refundable under any circumstances. If you withdraw your child from the 2026-2027 school year at any time after submitting this Enrollment Agreement, the full amount of the final program month tuition prepayment will be charged to your credit card or EFT on file upon receipt of your withdrawal notice.
