School taking drastic measures

amother

↑ Canary ↓

Today at 2:30 am

amother Mustard wrote:

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

Huh? Sometimes the admins are rolling in the money and the teachers are not paid at all. I’m not saying parents shouldn’t pay tuition but if a school is struggling why does it always fall on the teachers/ lower staff

amother

↑ Canary ↓

Today at 2:32 am

amother Fuchsia wrote:

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.

Why would the teachers work for free? It’s their livelihood

amother

Lightcyan

Today at 2:40 am

I am behind in all of my kids tuitions. My husband is a Rav who works really hard from morning to night. The shul has been behind in paying him. He is owed about 500,000 accumulated over several years.

amother

Freesia

Today at 3:32 am

Little known fact: In Sara schenirer's schools, a student whose parents were behind in tuition or didn't pay was sent home immediately. Yes, she valued chinuch, but she also valued paying her teachers and overhead and staying open. If you wanted a BY education, you made it work somehow. And in those days you takeh could have no food in the house due to poverty-- no programs.

amother

NeonPink ↓

Today at 3:47 am

Wow this is so terrible. I feel awful for the teachers if they haven’t been paid on time, and for the parents who just don’t have the money, and now their kids will suffer for it.

If any of these underpaying families have only one parent working, this can spur them to change that. That would be a good outcome. But actually I don’t know how they’d do that if their kids aren’t allowed in school and need to be babysat all day.

amother

Lightblue

Today at 4:04 am

amother Wisteria wrote:

We got this same letter every year in bybp many years ago...

Definitely not worded like this.
A letter of readmission and reminder that if one doesn't pay up they won't be able to send the kids to school.
And the school always works with parents on payment plans. Nobody is sent away of they show good faith, and set up a payment plan that pays down open balances.

amother

Black

Today at 4:13 am

Such a respectfully written letter. When I was in school on a certain day of year girls whos tuition balance was outstanding where sent to the hallway and needed to call home and ask for payment or pickup. My sil school put big stickers on outside of report card envelopes for whole class to see stating how much money was outstanding. Both humiliating and embarrassing for children. This letter is clearly telling parents to prevent children's embarrassment not to send them to school.

amother

Jetblack

Today at 4:15 am

amother Razzmatazz wrote:

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?

Go into debt. Is what we needed to do. I’m sure the teachers who aren’t getting paid go into debt too. It’s a sad state of affairs but there isn’t a solution.

amother

↑ Impatiens ↓

Today at 4:54 am

amother Cognac wrote:

What about the parent that is sick or had an injury that cost them to work? And then they lose money and can't pay tuition....Now what?

They call school and work it out. Sounds like these people just didn’t pay because why not. It’s not necessarily a case of those who fell on hard times.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 5:00 am

amother Natural wrote:

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?

I’m paying the full amount I committed to pay the school. You first post sounded like you just weren’t paying what you agreed to pay.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 5:04 am

amother Razzmatazz wrote:

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?

If both parents are working full time you have a point. Often in a Heimishe school the mothers are SAHM. Babysitting at home or other employment to pay tuition and enable their children’s teachers to be paid would be a good start.

amother

Petunia

Today at 5:08 am

I am a teaching and the school is 1.5 months behind in pay. But years ago I had a school that didn't pay for half a year. I was single then , so I didn't need it.... But imagine those who did ...
My kids' schools always give "admission cards" for first days , if you paid up. I don't know what happens if kid doesn't have it ....
I don't know a solution if a parent mamush can't pay it ... But if they can try to work some out, I would hope the school would work with them ....

amother

↑ Fuchsia ↓

Today at 5:14 am

Some of you are explaining your position why you’re behind on tuition and how you worked it out with the school.

A letter like this is specifically geared to parents who ignore the school’s attempts to collect their due tuition. If parents fall on hard times, but they set up a meeting, work out a payment plan, negotiate respectfully, etc etc. in most cases, their kids are not being sent home.
This is specifically geared to parents who only understand this language.

amother

Pear ↓

Today at 5:16 am

amother Freesia wrote:

I wonder if this was an absolute blanket rule. I parent who is the bread winner dies.....and the kid is kicked out of school. I doubt it.

This is one of those dilemmas that I really can't make up my mind about. If a parent c'vs truly can't pay, how can they kick out the kid? It's not always possible for the parent to "work it out somehow".

I think the best answer is that a school is like a business. If a business can't pay its bills, they close. Same with a school. A school shouldn't be perpetually behind year after year. If they can't pay their teachers then it's time to close. Keeping it open and not paying their staff and sending students home is not a mehalech.

amother

Crocus

Today at 5:16 am

The school is about to close it’s doors due to parents not paying

Heard from a reliable source

My kids go there. I pay monthly on time, however I haven’t been able to pay the building fee yet

And I can’t afford to until next month. It was tight notice and we cant give money we don’t have

So yeah my daughters won’t be allowed in. It’s frustrating because we pay the actual tuition every month.

amother

↑ Pear

Today at 5:19 am

amother Fuchsia wrote:

Parents who don't have the means or income can't set up real payment plans in good faith. Even with a discount tuition is very expensive. Some families can't do it. Nothing to negotiate. For example the parent might say they can only squeeze say, $4000 per child. The school is insisting on at least $75000. The parent knows they don't even have the 4k. What should they do?

amother

↑ Cherry

Today at 5:32 am

amother Crocus wrote:

They gave you notice just now that you need to pay the full building fee in a month? When you're up to date on your tuition? That's really sloppy of the school. How did they suddenly realize that they need everyone to fully pay up their building fee? Most people don't have that kind of money sitting around.

It sounds like the school has some management trouble.

amother

↑ Fuchsia ↓

Today at 5:37 am

amother Pear wrote:

Ask for help in terms of tzedaka? Why should the teachers need to do that?