The exorbitant cost of day school tuition and parents’ inability to foot the bill is a national discussion. Across the country, parents, educators, and donors are grappling with how to make a strong Jewish education affordable for our families. When many in our community are out of work – and people in our society have to choose between food and heat – day school scholarships become a need among hundreds of needs. How does a donor choose?
Last month, The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation chose day schools among their top priorities – again. At a meeting of day school leaders, the organizations announced a five-year extension of the Day School Initiative. The Weinberg Foundation has committed another $5 million over five years, which The Associated has agreed to match with $3 million, to support scholarship needs at 10 Jewish Day Schools in Baltimore, which together enroll more than 4,400 students in grades K-12. This is in addition to the $2.1 million that The Associated allocates to day schools each year from its Annual Campaign, a total of $10.5 million over the next five years.
The first phase, announced in 2006 and distributed over six years, included a $16 million matching grant by the Foundation and The Associated. At its conclusion, the Weinberg Foundation and The Associated will have provided approximately $24 million in support of Jewish Day Schools in Baltimore through this initiative and a total of more than $35 million in communal dollars.
“We believe this is one of the largest direct scholarship programs for Jewish education ever in North America,” said Barry Schloss, Weinberg Foundation Trustee and Treasurer.
“The newest match is another example of the unique unity from which the Jewish community in Baltimore benefits,” said Marc B. Terrill, Associated President. “We all understand the importance of Jewish education and collectively work to strengthen our schools and educational institutions. We thank the Weinberg Foundation and look forward to finding more ways to partner in the years ahead.”
The day schools were quick to express gratitude. “We are extremely appreciative,” said Rabbi Hillel Tendler of Torah Institute. “The Day School Initiative could only happen because the leadership of The Associated – for much more than the past five years – has become increasingly aware of the critical importance the day school community plays in Baltimore. With The Associated’s help, our schools have become more transparent and professional, and this makes funders feel more comfortable [with making gifts].”
Rabbi Tendler said he feels the day schools and The Associated share a strong working relationship and mutual respect – unparalleled in other cities.
Nonetheless, the match extension represents a decrease in supplemental funding to the schools and decreases year-to-year. The Weinberg Foundation noted that this gift marks the conclusion of Foundation support, in the near term, for Jewish day schools.
Ari Krupp, president of Talmudical Academy, said that, while he feels nothing but appreciation, he and his colleagues realize that times are not getting easier but more difficult: “The Day School Initiative is the greatest thing – amazing. But I will still have to take calls from parents who say they cannot pay tuition. It is overwhelming to know that the Weinberg funding is starting to wind down,” he said.
“When I look at what we do at TA, we are not just educating children. We are literally, in some cases, a home away from home – a safe haven for some children. I have been at meetings with principals who say they have children who have not eaten in 24 hours, since their last meal at school. And these are not one-off cases,” said Mr. Krupp. “It is a really difficult situation that all the schools face, trying to educate our children and take care of their basic needs at the same time.”
He noted that The Associated will be increasing its annual core allocation to schools as the match dwindles. “This speaks volumes to their commitment to what we are trying to do,” Krupp said, noting that those funds come directly from The Associated’s Annual Campaign.
“This just raises the point again of how vital it is for every member of the community to participate in funding our Jewish communal organizations, including and especially The Associated Annual Campaign,” said Rabbi Tendler.
“Associated support stems far beyond the $3 million,” said Krupp, “and far beyond day schools. There are so many other services and supports The Associated gives to so many different things from which all of the frum community benefits.”
As Foundation dollars reduce, The Associated is assisting schools in finding new ways to maximize efficiency and tap into new dollars. Last month, The Associated announced the launch of the Russel Family Generations Baltimore Project (an article appeared in the WWW), a program of the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education Endowment and Legacy Institute with The Associated and the Avi Chai Foundation, which will help ensure future support for day school budgets by soliciting endowment and legacy gifts. The Associated has also been helping to facilitate a financial benchmarking project for the schools with an end goal of expense reduction and income enhancement. Each school is developing its own three-year financial plan under the direction of the consulting organization, the YU Institute for University School Partnership.
Jerome Kaden, Executive Director of Ner Israel Rabbinical College, said the fact that the schools know the match is winding down will allow them to plan properly so they won’t be unprepared in 2017. He said he recognizes the challenge but hopes that, through programs like the YU financial benchmarking project, “our school will be better positioned when the next grant runs out.”
But the real question is: Can parents expect scholarships to be available in 2012 at the same level as they were this year? Rabbi Tendler said that all the schools can do is try. “Given the economy, it will take a lot to be able to continue with the same level of scholarships,” he said. “Everyone is working overtime to get those dollars.”
For additional details about the Day School Initiative, visit www.associated.org/perfectmatch . To understand the scope of Baltimore’s Jewish communal needs, visit www.associated.org/whygive .
Sidebar
Making Politics Work … For Us!
Advocacy Day 2012
Each February, the Baltimore Jewish Council, the community relations and political arm of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, invites hundreds of people to Annapolis to join with the Washington Jewish Community Relations Council in lobbying for legislation important to our communities.
This year, Advocacy Day, which is on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, will have special relevance to the Orthodox Jewish community. Why? The Baltimore Jewish Council is supporting the “Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers” legislation, otherwise known as BOAST. If this bill passes, it would allow businesses to receive a tax credit, against their state income tax, for a donation to an eligible organization. These eligible organizations are Educational Scholarship Organizations, 501(c)(3)s that award scholarships to students attending a number of private schools, or Innovative Educational Organizations, which support enrichment programs for public-school students. Funding may also be used for professional development programs for public and private school teachers.
To help us better understand the BOAST legislation, Baltimore Jewish Council’s Executive Director, Art Abramson, Ph.D., explains why the BJC decided to support it this year: “In an Arizona case, the Supreme Court recently addressed governmental expenditures not being the same as providing a tax credit, so we felt we had a chance here in Maryland. In addition, we are all aware of the strain Jewish day school tuitions place on families and the community, and see the BOAST legislation as an opportunity to help relieve that burden. These two factors led our Board to vote in support of this legislation.”
Here are some questions about BOAST and Dr. Abramson’s answers:
Q: If the bill passes, how quickly will the community benefit from it?
A: It all depends on whether the bill is passed with funding. If the bill passes unfunded, we will make every effort to have the State fund the bill. If the bill passes with funding, the community will benefit immediately after the legislation is enacted. Our community will be prepared to accept donations and help students and the schools leverage the business donations.
Q: When you decide to advocate for a bill, what does that mean? What will you do to help the legislation go through?
A: We will be advocating for BOAST as one of our two priority issues this upcoming session.
We will join with other organizations that have been lobbying for this legislation for years, including Agudath Israel and the Catholic Conference. The Baltimore Jewish Council has an office in Annapolis, and many of the staff work in Annapolis during session. We meet with many legislators and educate them about legislation and why it is essential for our community and the State. This effort peaks with our annual Advocacy Day.
Q: Does Advocacy Day really make a difference?
A: Advocacy Day shows legislators that the Jewish community cares and appreciates their efforts. It is an opportunity for our community members to meet with their legislators and express their concerns as part of the Jewish community.
Q: Can anyone come to Advocacy Day?
A: Anyone and everyone should come! Advocacy Day is free; you just have to register at www.baltjc.org. Meetings with your legislators, arranged by the Council, are from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a kosher reception from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. with the Governor, Lt. Governor, members of the Senate and House, and many other elected officials. There is a bus on a first-come-first-serve basis, leaving from Chizuk Amuno around 3:00 p.m. for $12 a seat.
Q: How will BOAST fit into the mix of other supports The Associated and its agencies provide day schools – The Associated-Weinberg Foundation Day School Initiative, The Russel Family Generations Baltimore Project, etc.?
A: The Associated understands the importance of Jewish education and will make every effort to leverage whatever funds are available to help more children receive a Jewish education and relieve the burden on the schools.
Q: What is the other legislation you are supporting this year?
A: In addition to our fiscal requests, the Iran Certification Act is a key issue for the Council this year. We all know the threat Iran is to Israel and the world. The legislation would prevent Maryland from doing business with companies doing business, in certain sectors, with Iran. This is part of a national effort to increase sanctions on Iran.
For more information about the Baltimore Jewish Council, visit www.baltjc.org. To learn more about The Associated’s volunteering and advocacy efforts go to www.associated.org/getinvolved and click on “Volunteering & Advocacy.”
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