School taking drastic measures

amother

↑ Impatiens ↓

Yesterday at 8:12 pm

Moonlight wrote:

And this is why I said many years ago, let's move out of Lakewood before our kids start school

Schools closed in monsey, Brooklyn and other areas from lack of money. This is not a Lakewood problem.

amother

Razzmatazz ↓

Yesterday at 8:17 pm

amother Mustard wrote:

It takes alot of nerve to expect anyone to work for you for free. What a sense of entitlement.

Agree that no one should work for free. But curious about what would be your suggestion for parents who literally don't have the money? Are schools now going to accept kids only from financially stable families? Are we going to ostracize the poor and leave then without schools?

amother

Fuchsia ↓

Yesterday at 8:19 pm

amother Canary wrote:

Is the administration also behind on their own paychecks? If not, why is the blame of not paying teacher always put on parents? Let the admins cut their own salary a bit

In many cases, it is the school board that handles these matters. The board members are typically not on the payroll. Additionally, why would the administration work for free? This is their livelihood.

From experience, I know that, in many cases, this letter is the only language that gets through. It’s often the only way to bring parents to the negotiating table. Unfortunately, until you follow through on the promise to send children home, no one bats an eyelash.

It’s unfortunate, but true.

giftedmom ↓

Yesterday at 8:25 pm

Then everyone hates on the schools who get millions in govt funding through not the most honest ways but then the parents have cheaper tuition and don’t get kicked out for not paying.
You can’t have it all ways. You don’t expect your grocery to give you food for free even though you’re hungry and you don’t have money. A school, like any other business or institution, cannot function without money. It has to come from somewhere.

amother

↑ Razzmatazz ↓

Yesterday at 8:26 pm

amother Dodgerblue wrote:

Makes sense to me. Why do some parents think schools should educate their child for free?
I work in a school where there are parents that straight up do not pay.

Parents don't think schools should educate for free. But they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. They don't have the money for it, but schooling is a necessity.

What should they do?

amother

↑ Fuchsia ↓

Yesterday at 8:27 pm

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

The question is, is your paycheck really delayed because parents are behind on tuition or for other reasons?

Does the school open it's books? How.much do the people in administration get paid? Is the school privately owned?If so, does the owner have family members on payroll even if they have basically nothing to do with the school?

These days, most small schools I know of, run on a deficit because you simply cant charge tuition per kid what it actually costs to run a mainstream school. They are left to fundraise the deficit which is brutal. Add to that parents who don't pay tuition and now it’s even more impossible to cover the yearly budget.

amother

↑ Razzmatazz ↓

Yesterday at 8:28 pm

giftedmom wrote:

But the poor get subsidies/assistance for basic needs. We don't tell them do without food if you don't have the money for it.

School is a necessity for children. Barring send the kids to a public school, what options do parents have.

This is a problem that gives right to both sides. So what can the solution be here?

↑ giftedmom ↓

Yesterday at 8:30 pm

amother Razzmatazz wrote:

In the old days there was a kehilla tax that covered this. I don’t have the answer. But maybe govt funding for schools isn’t such a bad thing.

amother

↑ Peachpuff

Yesterday at 8:49 pm

amother Lightyellow wrote:

I thought Bnos Hadasa was a "fancy" school? Are the parents spending too much money on keeping up with the Cohen's, instead of paying their tuition?

I don't know who does and doesn't pay but based on my daughter's classes the large majority of parents are simple torahdik families with both parents working regular jobs and just not making enough to cover expenses... regular middle class.
Yes, there are some wealthier parents but by far not the majority.

Reality

Yesterday at 9:24 pm

giftedmom wrote:

In the old days there was a kehilla tax that covered this. I don’t have the answer. But maybe govt funding for schools isn’t such a bad thing.

Government funding equals following government rules and regulations. And when you don't it equals massive chilul Hashem when obviously "frum" people are arrested for fraud. It also sends a terrible message to our children that lying and stealing are okay. Hypocrisy is what turns off so many kids from Judaism today.

A private kehillah tax/mandatory donation is the only viable long term solution but it would be impossible to enforce.

The US government is not the answer!

amother

Holly ↓

Yesterday at 9:27 pm

I’m behind on tuition. Had to pay a 5k expense now that otherwise would’ve gone to tuition. At this point, it’s either food, utilities, or tuition. And day camp is coming up. And paying for teffilin. Hopefully we won’t fall further behind. I’m grateful that the school is understanding. We keep sending money, but in smaller amounts than we used to.

What other choice to parents who are really not making it have?
We don’t have any govt programs.
Unfortunately have some large expenses at the moment. It’s not like we can send to public school. And tuition for our kids is 50k for the year. It’s brutal.

amother

Lotus ↓

Yesterday at 9:55 pm

amother Brunette wrote:

I get that there are some individuals that really can't pay tuition. Literally, electricity being turned off, food on table etc.

But are so many parents really unable to pay?
How much is tuition in Bnos Hadasa?

Unfortunately, too many people are not making paying tuition priority. They'd rather live a high life then pay tuition. The schools definitely notice it & that's why they need to take drastic measures.
(My neighbors went to Isreal for Tishrei. The school told them that their kids cannot come back to school after tishrie if they don't pay up tuition. Instead of paying up, they smeared the school & painted them as being terrible....)

amother

Natural ↓

Yesterday at 11:23 pm

amother Lotus wrote:

I hate that because of a few people like this, the school suspects EVERYONE of not caring enough to pay tuition.

I care very much about tuition, but I just cannot pay it.

amother

Wandflower

Today at 1:48 am

I think every post so far is true.

Since inflation the situation is more dire. People are getting squeezed harder. No one who isn't wealthy is escaping feeling it.

The only answer is the wealthy stepping up and supporting the poor in their own communities. But the poor/middle class needs to tone down what basic means in order to do their part and work together.

I think if the schools were transparent with their fiscal budgets like publicly traded stock companies & gave the parents more partnership with them, it would help the situation.

Its nasty tactic, but its a desperate act if its too many people who have fallen behind in paying.

Teachers are not in the position to do without their salary. Neither are secretaries.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 1:50 am

amother Natural wrote:

I hate that because of a few people like this, the school suspects EVERYONE of not caring enough to pay tuition.

I care very much about tuition, but I just cannot pay it.

How much do you care? You aren’t going on vacation to Israel instead of paying tuition. But what does it mean that you care very much? There’s a teacher on the other side who can’t pay the electric bill because you didn’t pay your tuition. Do you prioritize your tuition bill as if it’s YOUR electric that’s about to be shut off?

amother

↑ Natural ↓

Today at 2:10 am

amother OP wrote:

How much do you care? You aren’t dying on vacation to Israel instead of paying tuition. But what does it mean that you care very much? There’s a teacher on the other side who can’t pay the electric bill because you didn’t pay your tuition. Do you prioritize your tuition bill as if it’s YOUR electric that’s about to be shut off?

That's not really a fair comparison.

When my car is out of gas on the side of the road, it is an emergency more than my electric bill, even though my electric bill will now be late and may start threatening shutoff, and even though I may not have bought food for Shabbos yet. Even though objectively electricity and food is more important than the car. Do you consider that I don't prioritize food?

Additionally, I make choices with my electric bill, such as shutting off lights when I leave the room, and not heating the room of my house that has electric baseboards. Tuition is all or nothing, unless I get a discount, which doesn't help the teacher's electric bill, it just means that the school will stop asking me for money earlier.

I am almost certainly living on a lower standard than ALL of the teachers in my children's schools. And I had several months where my electricity was at risk of being shut off, and I still bought food and gas, and still paid something towards tuition.

OP, are you paying full tuition?