Making big purchases with savings before tuition starts

amother

Apricot

Wed, Nov 11 2015, 1:06 am

Speaking for the tuition committee. Yes, we know tuition is an extraordinary burden. No, we really really don't like poking into your life.

But here's the thing. No one is making money off your tuition. Every dollar that you don't pay is going to have to come from someplace. The someplace is called community tzedaka. As custodians of that money, it's our job to see that it's well spent. Our resources are finite. We want to help those who need help. Using tzedaka money to underwrite a McMansion is not a responsible use of the community's tzedaka.

Again, we are trying hard to control costs, we're happy to hear your advice (though honestly, we've heard a lot of it before) and we want to treat you with respect. We are partners in your child's education.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

amother

Tangerine

Mon, Apr 04 2016, 11:19 pm

Amother apricot, respectively:

I don't know much about the tuition system or who decides how much tuition should cost so I'm asking for the sake of knowledge and not to be rude: aren't there ways to cut costs so that tuition doesn't have to be so unreasonably high? I don't know what school you are vouching for but I know a lot of schools pay for nice buildings, fancy sports programs and all the costs included in that, etc. maybe your school doesn't have those things but the ones that do are taking the money right out of people's pockets to support these programs, right? I just think that's not so fair and am curious how this is justified.

amother

Apricot

Mon, Apr 04 2016, 11:52 pm

amother wrote:

Good question. First, the vast majority (about 85%) of the school budget is spent on salaries. So if your school has many layers of administration and/or extra assistants, that's the place to cut. As you probably know, teachers aren't exactly raking in the big bucks. (We give one free tuition to faculty, plus they can pay tuition at other schools from pre-tax income. Both male and female teachers can claim parsonage under very restricted circumstances. Laws vary by state.)

In terms of amenities, schools want to have enough to attract students and give them every good opportunity. It's important to have safe and comfortable surroundings, if not every luxury. Sometimes a school gets a directed gift, in which someone pays for the new building or whatever.

You're right that maybe lower income parents would prefer to pay less and have a bare bones school. But richer parents want all the bells and whistles, and it's to everyone's advantage to have parents who can pay not just full tuition but extra. Segregating schools by income also has long term social consequences. So we try hard to meet the most needs for the least amount of money. It's a balancing act every day.

The best advice I can give you is to be involved in the school board. The people running schools are not remote creatures removed from reality. They are ordinary people who put in extraordinary amounts of time and effort for the needs of the tzibbur. If you think a school is hiding information, maybe it's not the right place for you. They should be willing and able to share information. They will not share individual salaries with you, but you should be allowed to see the budget, especially if they are registered as a non-profit institution.