by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

July 7, 2009

Local day schools report that enrollment is relatively stable, while tuition assistance requests are soaring, and fund-raising is difficult at best.

Shalom Torah Academy reached a financial nadir in January and February; the fund-raising picture was so bad that closing or selling the school was under serious consideration by administrators and the board of directors.

“There was a question for a while whether the school would continue. It was close to being sold to another organization or closing,” said Charles Nebenzahl, a board member at the school, which has two locations, one in Twin Rivers and one in Marlboro. An expert in turning around failing businesses, Nebenzahl was brought onto the board earlier this year. He appears to have been successful.

Enrollment for the school is at 450 for next year, about the same as this past school year, he said. But there are still about 30 students whose families are up in the air due to financial issues.

“I hope about 25 will come back to the school, one way or another, maybe through sponsorships,” said Nebenzahl.

In the end, the school’s fund-raising efforts met those of previous years. “But it took a lot more effort from a lot more people,” said Nebenzahl. “Last month was the best fund-raising month in years. People were working 10 to 12 hour days, but we did it. Things are coming together.”

Tuition ranges between $6,000 and $7,700 at the two schools; with families already receiving assistance or requesting more for next year, other families said they are willing to pay more to cover the gap. In fact, Nebenzahl said, he expects to bring in about 20 percent more money next year through tuition than this year. “People are doing their part to help the school survive,” he said. He pointed to those who were not previously big supporters, from former school parents to alumni, who have now come to the aid of the school. “It’s been a wild year, a real roller-coaster. But things are now looking better than they have in a long, long time,” he said.

‘A difficult decision’

Things have not been quite as dramatic elsewhere in the area, but nearly every school is feeling the impact.

Solomon Schechter Academy of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Howell has seen a 15 to 20 percent drop in enrollment in preschool through second grade.

“We have families where the second earner has lost a job, so there’s no need for preschool because one parent is home, said headmaster Paul Krauss. “It’s a difficult decision to start a child in any preschool, not just a Jewish one, when you’ve just lost 50 percent of your income,” he said.

But once children are in the school, they are staying, he said. Krauss reported that tuition assistance requests are up by 25-30 percent. “We’re not turning anyone away, but people are turning away. Even with financial assistance, unfortunately, some people cannot meet” their obligations. Tuition is $10,000 for first through eighth grade and $5,500 for kindergarten.

At Yeshiva of the Jersey Shore in Deal, principal Rabbi Elie Tuchman acknowledged that the need for financial aid is greater than ever. “Tuition is too high because it’s more than middle-class families can afford and was even before the economic crunch.

“And at the same time, delivering a quality education is more expensive than ever. People who were on the edge last year now really need help.”

Tuition at the school, established in 2006, is $12,000 per year for the 2009-10 year, $500 more than last year. Those who have not been affected financially “recognize the difficulty we are having and have stepped up, helping to close the gap,” said Tuchman.

And his enrollment is up, bucking the trend at other schools. In some ways, that’s to be expected, since the school adds a grade each year, but, significantly, while other schools are seeing a drop in their lower grades, Yeshiva of the Jersey Shore’s incoming first grade is slightly larger than last year’s. It’s a hopeful indicator for Tuchman. “We are planning for continued growth because that’s how you build a school.”

The only school in the area that does not seem to be feeling the pinch is the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County in Marlboro. Except for a slight drop-off in the three-year-old program, enrollment is on target, with 225 students. Linda Glickstein, director of administration and marketing, said, “No one is as surprised as I am. I projected a decrease in enrollment.”

The school has even maintained the 10 percent enrollment increase it had for the 2008-09 school year. But that doesn’t mean Glickstein doesn’t worry. “I personally think in 2010-11 we’ll feel the impact more, unless something [good] happens in the economy.”

Tuition assistance requests are up, and some families who have never applied before did so this year. “But it is not through the roof,” said Glickstein, calling it “just a slight increase.” She declined to provide figures for tuition, requests for tuition assistance, or fund-raising dollars, but she said that so far, the school has not lost any families for financial reasons. Again, however, she worries. “I don’t know what will happen next week, or in a month.”

Each of the schools that spoke with NJ Jewish News is taking the same approach to families requesting financial aid — none want to turn them away. As Glickstein said, “We do not want any child to leave our school because their parents couldn’t afford to pay for it.”

Other Jewish day schools in the area did not return calls from NJ Jewish News.

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