Why is Jewish Day School tuition so high?

[aygart]

They pay for Public School for the masses (assuming they have big/nice properties), why not Yeshiva also?

because they all are just itching to pay property taxes and would never vote to lower them:-\

[CS1]

Not 100% on topic but I also think it would be very helpful for anyone who isn't paying tuition to have to meet with a financial advisor offered by the school.

Great idea!
I also think that after paying full price/minimum for 2-3 children, then the rest are free.
This would show that children are a bracha, and not a 'financial burden'.

In my day as a student, most parents had to share one car to be able to afford tuition.
Many families (without a job, or a one-parent job) spend a total of $1,000+ monthly on car#2,
 2 iPhones, cableTV, karate lessons, music lessons, kids' phones/iPads, and sometimes pet food, combined, yet there is zero $ at the end of the month for any tuition payments at all.
The result is that the FT teachers receive low salaries and no health insurance, etc....

A good theory would be to add up those types of add-ons,
make a minimum monthly payment of those total luxuries
and that amount goes to tuition as well. If people cannot afford both, then maybe they'll need to chose between 2+ smartphones and quality chinuch.

[Dan]

They pay for Public School for the masses (assuming they have big/nice properties), why not Yeshiva also?

They already do for yeshivas. It's called artificially high full tuition. 
And all that benefits is the government as tuition is post-tax dollars as opposed to donations which are pre-tax dollars.

[chevron]

imho its not lower tuition we need to invest in but quality education! schools often are nothing more than places kids are watched and hopefully learn social interaction with peers.

when we tackle schools are places to nurture little people and grow them to big people then this is a casus belli. on this board I may get attacked for my spelling or lack thereof but so what, learning good spelling, grammar and punctuation are hardly the tools to equipped students to succeed in life, you will not make a better spouse because you can spell better.

I do not understand the age grade level, its like we punish a kid for not being good at gemarah, why ? maybe he is the next chagal and simply hasent got the head. or desire ? but that does not mean he is a lackadaisical student, he could thrive in philosophy, nach, halacha or any thing.

I think students should get personality tests to determine what they would excell at academically and emotionally / personality.

I think we should reward not punish, seek to help these little people grow not stuff them with knowledge and facts.

I could have done much better with discussions on existence rather than learning Tanya etc its a belief I know many hold that the riggid education system must give way and there are schools with radical changes to the old system 

[GAJ2303]

As the administrator of a school I can say that the main reason tuition is so high is because the majority of parents don't pay full tuition and even those parents who get breaks don't pay what they promise. So we are left with very large deficit gaps. We need to inflate the prices so those who can afford full will offset those who don't pay. Also if we ask a parent who doesn't have much to give for 15k a year we might get 6-7 but if we only ask for 10 we only get 4-5.

Do parents paying full tuition receive a donation letter for their portion that covers scholarships?

[notanonymous]

imho its not lower tuition we need to invest in but quality education! schools often are nothing more than places kids are watched and hopefully learn social interaction with peers.

when we tackle schools are places to nurture little people and grow them to big people then this is a casus belli. on this board I may get attacked for my spelling or lack thereof but so what, learning good spelling, grammar and punctuation are hardly the tools to equipped students to succeed in life, you will not make a better spouse because you can spell better.

I do not understand the age grade level, its like we punish a kid for not being good at gemarah, why ? maybe he is the next chagal and simply hasent got the head. or desire ? but that does not mean he is a lackadaisical student, he could thrive in philosophy, nach, halacha or any thing.

I think students should get personality tests to determine what they would excell at academically and emotionally / personality.

I think we should reward not punish, seek to help these little people grow not stuff them with knowledge and facts.

I could have done much better with discussions on existence rather than learning Tanya etc its a belief I know many hold that the riggid education system must give way and there are schools with radical changes to the old system

I am sorry that you obviously had a bad experience, but that is not the norm.

[CS1]

Do parents paying full tuition receive a donation letter for their portion that covers scholarships?

the Jewish schools are usually non-profit 501c(3) institutions. The families can get a tax deduction. Some pay tuition by cc, so they get points, too.

[skyguy918]

the Jewish schools are usually non-profit 501c(3) institutions. The families can get a tax deduction. Some pay tuition by cc, so they get points, too.

People may or may not do this, but according to the IRS, tuition is not deductible, even if it's paid to a 501c3.

[chevron]

I am sorry that you obviously had a bad experience, but that is not the norm.

not from what I have heard from many, this was my feeling in elementary and high school 2 different states. maybe it highlights chabad education or maybe just me

[Achas Veachas]

not from what I have heard from many, this was my feeling in elementary and high school 2 different states. maybe it highlights chabad education or maybe just me

As a product of Chabad education I've had better years and worse years, I believe it was a function of the teachers not the system...

[Sport]

As a product of Chabad education I've had better years and worse years, I believe it was a function of the teachers not the system...

Sub par teachers are a product of tne system.

[ayman]

How many ppl who have responded to this thread so far are actually involved in Chinuch or Public Education? (IE not just talking out of their @ss.)

And how many of those actually involved actually received any training whatsoever and weren't just thrown into a classroom because they like children?

#Justcurious

[sky121]

Honestly, if all people in chinuch actually liked and cared about the children we'd already be so much better off than we are now.

[Saver2000]

Just read through this thread. 

There was normal conversation going  on about tuition costs. 

Then chevron piped up about his bad experience in school and changed the conversation.

@chevron please start a new thread.  Not necessary to take this OT (especially just bec you had a bad experience).

Thanx

My 2 cents on the tuition crisis coming up soon 

[Saver2000]

@ayman,  besides for chevrons comment, what does this thread have to do with people who are in chinuch? The people paying tuition are regular working people.

Obviously insight from a school administrator would help clarify things,  but otherwise. .. .?

And regarding your 2nd question -  please post that in chevrons new thread dedicated to ripping rabbeim/teachers/curriculum. 

[eis517]

Human Brand in Kansas City did something like Dan suggested about lowering tuition and asking those who could afford to give more to do it as charity.  From what I remember it has been working well.  Enrolment has grown

[GAJ2303]

People may or may not do this, but according to the IRS, tuition is not deductible, even if it's paid to a 501c3.

Would the portion that covers the other students tuition be tax deductible? If the school can differentiate the actual average cost per student. What about the building fund?

[peacenlove613]

Do parents paying full tuition receive a donation letter for their portion that covers scholarships?

No legally you cannot give a tax receipt for tuition payments.

People may or may not do this, but according to the IRS, tuition is not deductible, even if it's paid to a 501c3.

+1
Legally even if someone wants to pay for a specific persons tuition he cannot receive a tax receipt. We have to put it down as a general donation and then decide on our own to give that person a break.

[notanonymous]

How many ppl who have responded to this thread so far are actually involved in Chinuch or Public Education? (IE not just talking out of their @ss.)

And how many of those actually involved actually received any training whatsoever and weren't just thrown into a classroom because they like children?

#Justcurious

Involved, took training.
FTR, the training was not helpful...if you needed to be told what they said, then this job is not for you.

[sky121]

Involved, took training.
FTR, the training was not helpful...if you needed to be told what they said, then this job is not for you.

I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I'm not saying training can't help but if you don't have it training won't help much.