Enrollment

Morningstar Learning Center
Enrollment for Academic Year 2022-2023

Beginning September 1, 2022, Morningstar Learning Center (MLC) will transition to an academic year calendar. MLC is committed to providing a safe and enriching environment for students and living wages for our teachers. It is clear that to achieve these ends, changes must be made to how families enroll their children at MLC. Adopting a more consistent enrollment model will provide many benefits, including greater certainty about enrollment for parents, adequate planning for classroom development, increased opportunity for teachers to establish meaningful relationships with our students, the elimination of rate fluctuations, and reliable monthly income to support MLC operations. In short, this enrollment model will promote sustainability while providing an enhanced early childhood learning experience for all students, families, and teachers.

We recognize that families have appreciated the longstanding flexibility in scheduling at MLC. However, this flexibility comes with very real repercussions, such as the quality of the learning environment and the unsustainable business model it represents. It has made it difficult for us to accommodate all families, led to a budget deficit, and created challenges with teacher recruitment, retention, and
scheduling – all of which impact the overall care and education we’re able to provide our children.

Morningstar’s mission is to develop and connect Big Sky’s young children and families by providing reliable childcare, quality early education, and supportive resources from planning through parenthood. To achieve this mission, it is imperative that we undergo this transition to an academic year calendar (September 1 – August 31). Morningstar’s 2022-2023 draft calendar is below and will be
finalized and published by April 30th.

How enrollment will work:

• Sign-up for enrollment will run from May 1 to June 1. Schedules will be confirmed by July 1. Enrollment protocol through Summer 2022 Quarter will stay as is, with Summer enrollment requests due May 1, 2022.
• Families will choose whether they want to enroll full-time (5 days a week) or part-time (3 days a week) for the entire year.
• Part-time families will choose a weekly schedule that they will keep throughout the year.
• Families who wish to add early drop-off or extended day options will be able to sign up for a limited number of spots for the entire year.
• Drop-in days will be available to families who choose part-time enrollment, but similar to now, this option will be based on availability and is not guaranteed.
• Tuition includes materials fees.

Making changes to enrollment:

• Families who wish to transition from part-time to full-time during the year will be able to do so pending availability.
• Families who wish to transition from full-time to part-time during the year will require a 30-day notice and be responsible for the full-time monthly payment for the following 30 days unless their full-time spot is filled.
• Part-time families who wish to change their weekly schedule will be able to do so pending availability. There will be a change fee and a maximum of two opportunities to change the weekly schedule during the year.
• Any family who withdraws from enrollment during the year will require a 30-day notice and be responsible for their monthly tuition for the following 30 days after withdrawal unless the spot is filled.
• Seasonal enrollment policy: Any family who wishes to enroll mid-year is advised to enroll for the entire year to reserve their spot, which will involve paying monthly tuition starting with September of that school year. Families may enroll midyear if there is availability, but we cannot guarantee a spot midyear without enrolling for the entire year.
• New baby enrollment policy: Any family who wishes to enroll a new infant at age 6 months is advised to notify Morningstar at the earliest opportunity with the expected birth and enrollment dates. Infants will be placed on a waitlist for their expected month of enrollment, and spots will be assigned based on availability in the order of inquiry with preference for in-house families. Availability will be confirmed after the returning student enrollment period has concluded.

Application process

1. Prior to Applying
– Inquire with MLC
– Tour the facility

2. To Apply
– Complete application
– Pay application fee
– If no spots available, join waitlist

3. To Request Enrollment
– Complete enrollment request form
– Join brightwheel (MLC’s enrollment software)
– Schedule shadow day/meet and greet

4. To Confirm Your Spot
– Submit enrollment forms (immunization records, student records, tuition agreement)
– Pay enrollment commitment fee
– Receive welcome packet