Solutions to the tuition crisis

amother

↑ NeonGreen ↓

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 2:16 pm

amother Fuchsia wrote:

No reason it cant be done in school

Still doesn't properly vet the babysitting moms. I don't want a stressed out, angry mom who is completely disinterested in schlepping herself, her own kids, plus assorted paraphernalia to a classroom in a local school to watch my kid, and likely snapping or yelling at her charges out of her own frustration. Not to mention schools aren't set up for mass babysitting groups with a huge range of kids..

amother

Petunia

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 2:25 pm

I think we should have community based schools that everyone living within a set area is required to pay “taxes” to both girls and boys schools. I know there was pushback, but according to Halacha having functioning schools is a communal obligation, and this would 100% be a solution to multiple problems related to schools- like acceptance.

amother

↑ Mistyrose ↓

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 4:12 pm

amother Amaryllis wrote:

The point of everyone contributing is that nobody pays that much, so it shouldn't be a tircha on retirement age or young and early in your career. Parents would still have to pay a tuition, but a lower one. The problem is actually very simple: education is expensive. It's more than most parents can afford. And there's only so much schools can cut. Not every community has the kollel problem (MO is not exactly known for kollel en masse, and their tuition crisis is even worse). High standard of living is sort of an issue, but it's still not enough. Actual basic expenses are squeezing a lot of families and salaries aren't keeping up. There simply is not enough of a base to cover the costs when only the parents of current students are paying. It's a matter of priorities. If you want a thriving Jewish community, the children need a Jewish education. It should be a very high communal priority. If it isn't, well, do what you want, but be honest that ensuring the future of our generations doesn't actually matter to you.

So your solution is tuition PLUS a community tax.? That's a recipe for a disaster, and power grabs. If you want to make the case for a community tax and pay the tuition costs that way, we can debate the pros and cons of it. But having parents pay BOTH?? That's a non-starter.

And additionally, I can pretty much bet that even if starts off with good intentions, such a system would increase the fees year by year, eventually choking almost everyone. There is no such a thing as there being enough money in a community to fully support such a community initiative. Its a communism belief that there is collectively enough money to make up for the shortfalls of others , and its one of the main reasons why communism always fails.

Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 5:24 pm

How about a massive campaign like Adirei or the one for schools in EY this summer?
Invest the money somewhere for 5 years and use the interest from that to start subsidizing schools in 5 years... Let it grow first and keep the seed money there.

And stop opposing government aid. If you don't want to or can't pay, please see government funding as a matana. Not all schools raise tuition due to it, and if they did, it's not necessarily to get rich off of hard-working parents but maybe to try to actually make ends meet. Please see schools with an ayin tova, especially if you're entrusting them to be educating your children. Tax credits for scholarships available in some locations that potentially cost nothing to the donator are win-wins. By not taking advantage of these opportunities due to principle of the matter, you're sabotaging practical efforts to ease the tuition burden.

amother

↑ Mistyrose ↓

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 5:44 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

It's not the principle of the matter. It's an actual concern of short term gain over long term pain.

In other areas where we incorporated government assistance it was only a temperature reprieve before it caused the costs to skyrocket for those whom it was supposed to benefit. This will likely be a repeat situation.

↑ Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 6:57 pm

That's a huge assumption.
I've seen post after post about tuition skyrocketing WITHOUT government aid.
Maybe costs are rising regardless of revenue? (Well, no maybe about it... They are.)
I promise you that schools increasing tuition, even after getting additional government aid, is not because they can now make more of a profit and are greedy. It's because they need to and maybe they feel that finally they can gain more toward their expenditures and rely a tiny bit less on fundraising?

farm ↓

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 1:01 am

Make tuition a priority.
Community rabbanim should not allow people to donate to various causes if they don’t pay full tuition. They should publicize psak that seminary is forbidden unless full tuition has been paid up through high school. Same with supporting marrying children in kollel. Tzeddakah including Adopt A Kollel, Aderei Torah or whatever the latest trendy matching campaign, parlor meeting, or barbecue kumzitz event cannot be collected from people who don’t pay full tuition.
This is never going to happen. Which means our rabbanim and communities do NOT prioritize tuition. And guess what- the schools don’t either! They pressure our kids to make bake sales for Chai Lifeline and harass them to go to seminary in EY.
So why are we sitting here spending energy and brainpower to solve a problem that obviously is not that big a priority?

amother

Navyblue

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 1:39 am

mha3484 wrote:

I agree with winterberry. If everyone stopped donating to my local community kollelim we would have no rebbeim, no moros, no kashrus profession als and many other vital roles these kolleim serve as a spring board for. I also agree with being uncomfortable with the funds to E'Y as well.

I doubt it. Just learn from the Chasidish model. They have all of the above. But I never heard of money being splurged on Adirei Torah gatherings....
The ones who stay in Kollel mean it Lshem Shamayim, and the few lucky who have wealthy backing, good for them

amother

Amber ↓

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 3:26 am

farm wrote:

I don’t think your assumptions are true. The ones paying big money to these causes are already paying full tuition. The $18 the rest of us give when pressured is not going to solve the tuition problem.

Also, I don’t know where you live but the schools in my community definitely have their students collecting money for them as many times a year as possible.

Agree with you about seminary though.

wanttobehappy

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 5:34 am

The only real solution is if we ALL apply to public school together they will have to make tons do new schools which will be mostly frum kids cause we live together. The only way is to get the government to pay bh for school vouchers in brooklyn. Now it’s easier than ever to get. Bh bh otherwise we would never ever have been able to buy a house even with borrowed $$$$.

amother

Gold

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 6:59 am

We need to All apply to public schools they would then have to give us all vouchers they wouldn’t have where to put thosanda of kids. That’s the only way the government will pay. It cost them more money for each child in public school then vouchers. We are entitled to a free education in America. We should all go and get Heimish teachers in there. And after school have a few hours of yiddish subjects. No one wants to hear it but if that’s what u can afford then that’s what we should do

realtalk

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 7:38 am

My ideas only really work in town but

1% sales tax added in Jewish owned luxury stores (restaurants, high end home goods, etc) Obviously it's not a legal requirement but companies can be incentivized because they'll get the charity tax write off. Vaad could also technically make it a requirement for heksherim in restaurants.

Optional round up at checkouts like they have in non Jewish stores

Funds are distributed to all schools based on amount of students, not a separate income based scholarship fund

amother

Oxfordblue

Fri, Oct 11 2024, 7:52 am

Why on earth after paying years of full tuition would I continue to pay once my kids graduate? No way. Also,as someone who suffered years of infertility,why should I pay for those who have more kids than they can financially afford.
And last, there is no "community". But even if there was..we have dozens of schools in this "community".

None of these ideas in the o.p. would ever work.. because people like me would never agree.