Affordability… WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
Posted by Jane Taubenfeld Cohen on 28th July and posted in Uncategorized
Marc and I were writing to each other last night. I am still in NYC and he is in Sharon. We both agreed that what keeps us up at night is the question of affordability. Philosophically, there is so much we can do with our school. We have such talented and dedicated teachers and staff, our mission and vision are powerful and motivating. But, in this economy, even with the very high amount of financial assistance we give out, many families are still finding that they simply cannot afford a day school education. They often leave in tears because they understand the investment in the future they are making by sending their children to Jewish day school. But they simply cannot do it and no matter how much we try to help, it will not be enough. And each time this happens, it hurts.
Our school, like other schools, needs an endowment that helps us keep our tuition costs from rising. We cannot depend on tuition alone to meet our costs. We are not a fancy school. We do not spend money on frills. But, it is still an expensive endeavor. That is true despite the fact that we have non-tuition income from our fantastic camp, from renting our gym, and from our tenants. That is true despite the fact that our teachers and staff are underpaid.
We believe so strongly in what we do but we truly have to work with the greater community to find ways to make day school affordable. CJP, our local Federation, has been tirelessly working to make a difference in helping middle income families afford day school education. We applaud that work and hope that their plans come to fruition. We believe in day school education. We believe it is not only holy work but it is a way to ensure the future of our people. We also believe that we prepare our children well for their next educational stop in life. We want our students to graduate from our school. Hearing our graduates speak on the last day of school is a way to hear the emotions and the growth that each of our students experience. The Israel trip in 8th grade is a highlight of their time at our school. The learning in 8th grade caps their years at SASSDS and helps them lead toward success as they go out from our doors.
I am not writing a resolution in this posting. I am writing about what keeps me up at night. I am writing because we want to retain our students and keep our school economically viable despite the obstacles that each family faces. I am writing because each child that enters our school is a child whom we hope will graduate from our school.
Jane Taubenfeld Cohen
Head of School
