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is your wife in a low or high income area with her pre-K school?

It's kind of in between; she gets both kinds of families.

these kids who often attend public school pre-K would not be attending your wife's pre-K school anyway because they can't afford it.

This is where you are confused. There are many kids in the school who receive government assistance that pays for the entire tuition, which costs the state far less than providing the same class in a public school. The new law now only provides the same amount of money per student regardless of them being in a private or public school. Since the public schools cannot afford to provide the classes at that rate, they are being forced to cease the pre-K classes or make up the loss in revenue from other sources. Orange County is spending an extra two million dollars of surplus money next year to make up this difference, but where will the extra money be the next year?

I imagine her school is not impacted by the students being served in public school pre-K.

If the public system can succeed in keeping all these kids in their system, then it does impact the pool of students that are available for the private sector. More importantly, though, is the concept that I believe the private pre-schools are able to provide a better educational experience at a lower cost, and yet the public school teachers and beaureaucrats do not want to give up the control that they have over childrens' lives. They keep expanding their influence into younger years as well as post high school. It's a power and control issue.

This is where you are confused. There are many kids in the school who receive government assistance that pays for the entire tuition, which costs the state far less than providing the same class in a public school.

So, you are saying there are many pre-K students attending private school thanks to government assistance -- in the form of what -- a voucher? And, that voucher is now going to your wife's school? Or, is there some other assistance that is paid directly to your wife's school? I just can't think of what kind of assistance it might be.

The new law now only provides the same amount of money per student regardless of them being in a private or public school.

Yes, this is what I would expect: the same amount being provided by the state.

Since the public schools cannot afford to provide the classes at that rate, they are being forced to cease the pre-K classes or make up the loss in revenue from other sources.

Well, so far, it sounds like your wife's pre-K is about to increase its business.

Orange County is spending an extra two million dollars of surplus money next year to make up this difference, but where will the extra money be the next year?

I don't know. If Bill McBride is elected governor, he said he will raise taxes so there is more money for public school pre-K. However, I know Gov. Bush has increased funding for pre-K, and he did it without raising taxes.

If the public system can succeed in keeping all these kids in their system, then it does impact the pool of students that are available for the private sector.

Well, public schools can only offer pre-K, as attending it is not required by law. Also, the same argument you make above goes to the heart of the voucher issue: IF the public schools can succeed in keeping all these kids in their system, then it does impact the pool of students that are available for the private sector.

But, if the public schools can not keep those kids because parents perceive your wife's school is better, then, more students enter the free market system for your wife's school. And, one both sides of this issue, whether public preK verses private preK, or, public k-12 verses private k-12, is the point you make below, cited by both sides:

It's a power and control issue.

Yes, it is. Because (a) a private school may not say it, but it must stay in business, and (b) a public school may not be perceived this way, but, it often does want to offer what the community it serves may need. (Remember, again -- pre-K is NOT required.)

But, in a free market, there are other factors in play. You gave reasons why you believe your wife's school does a better job. Your reasons may all be true, and can persuade more students to attend her pre-K school over a public school.

I went to private pre-K myself as a child. It was located next door to the public elementary school, which did not at that time offer pre-K. However, even if it had offered pre-K, I know the private pre-K has a lot more to offer in many areas, including: the smaller size of the school, which is very important to some parents, and extremely important to some small children, who find a large public school setting to be overwhelming.

I guess what I am trying to tell you is this: no matter where Orange COunty or any county gets the funding from, and, frankly, they can ask parents to donate money and supplies to keep a public school's pre-K running, that public school has just as much right as your wife to offer a pre-K program, IMO. Is it as good as your wife's? Maybe not. Can your wife still get students to come to her school? Absolutely, especially if what she offers is different in terms of size of educational settting, for one factor.

Competition will always be there, and surely your wife knows this.

I think her real gripe is an advertising problem, as she is having a much tougher time convincing parents that uncertified teachers in her school are better than certified public teachers. And, on this count, she may be right, but here is how a parent may consider it: "Let's see, the teachers in your wife's school probably earn minimum wage, if that, (so the parent is thinking), and the public school teachers earn a heck of a lotmore than that, so, no thanks, I think I will put my kid in a public school where the teachers are paid a lot more than at Burger King."

Now, I mean no offense at all to your wife's school, and for all I know she may be paying her staff more than a public school (though I doubt it, simply because no private school does that). And, I can tell you: LOTS of private pre-K's DO only pay MINIMUM hourly wage to people. Maybe not your wife's school. BUT MANY DO.

Consequently, there are factors to consider, from a prospective client/parent's perspective, and your wife and her school need to address those concerns in their pitch or advertising or whatever they do.

Because again: (1) public pre-K's are not going away anytime soon; (2) competition is a GOOD in education; and (3) your wife's school may have some big advantages over a public preK, and she has to sell those advantages.

Finally, one more time: I attended a very small, private pre-K, and I would recommend such to any parent today simply because the one I attended was far more appropriate for me, as a 4 year old, on many levels, than that huge public elementary school next door.