We take our kids to another Aqua-Tots for almost 2 years now between the two of them. I'm in the pool with the toddler and the older one is on his own. I can see steady progress with each but we lose a lot when we take a break for winter. Things just get too hectic during the school year for us but the crowds are a lot smaller.
I'm not sure how the price compares to private, since we don't really have a good option for consistent pool usage so we like being able to go to them.