About
Signal Crest Preschool, founded in 1962 in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, is a ministry of Signal Crest United Methodist Church. Licensed by the State of Tennessee, the school has consistently earned the state’s highest three-star quality rating based on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. It serves children ages 2 to 5 with small classes staffed by a lead teacher and an assistant; staff are CPR and first aid certified. The program emphasizes learning through play with a balance of teacher-led and free-choice activities, plus weekly music enrichment and chapel time with Bible stories and songs.
Classes meet Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. An optional Playbunch extends the day to 2:00 PM for eligible students and is pay-as-you-go; daily sign-up is limited and available to children 30 months and older. Offerings include a two-day program for 2-year-olds (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu); a three-day program for 3-year-olds (Tue–Thu, potty trained); 4-year-old programs meeting three or four days; and a four-day Pre-K for 5-year-olds, with two extended days. Age cutoffs are August 15. Children bring lunch from home, and community visitors are hosted throughout the year.
Enrollment requires a classroom tour. Registration opens in late January for current preschool families and church members, followed by open registration in early February until classes are full; waitlists are available. Current fees include a $100 registration fee per child (refunded if waitlisted without placement), a one-time supply fee ($100, or $50 for the 2-year-old program), and monthly tuition from $200 to $350. All children must be fully immunized according to Tennessee’s schedule; no exemptions are accepted.