Moving to Lakewood

Chayalle

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 10:28 am

amother wrote:

Not sure of which ones do not.

I don't think Bnos Rivka, Bnos Bracha, and Aterest Tzipora do Yiddish. There could be others. My niece switched from Bnos Rivka to Bais Faiga and they were worried she'd be behind in yiddish (she wasn't; half of Bais Faiga doesn't know yiddish anyway.)

Bais Faiga translates into yiddish until 6th grade.

amother

Brunette

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 10:44 am

[quote="amother"]yes you need to apply now! most schools sent out applications and are having interviews now for the 2016-2017 year.

Bnos Penina might be for you or maybe Bnos Bracha, Tehillas Chaya Sara (which was Bnos Rivka) and Moreshes Bais Yaakov.

Thanks so much for your information. What type are these schools, super yeshivish or a little bit open minded? What kind of mix? We are very frum but more open minded. My husband is working but wears white shirt and dark pants all the time and only goes with a black hat on Shabbos.

amother

Brunette

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 10:52 am

I have another question: Do all children in Lakewood get transported to school via bus? How much does it cost for parents to pay for bussing each month? Also how does the hot lunch program in Lakewood schools work? Is free hot lunch based on income? Thanks.

lkwdmom2

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 10:58 am

right now there's major issues with the bussing. so who knows what will be next year with busses. there is free lunch based on income or you can pay for lunch.

Bnos Rivka and Ateres Tzipora definetely don't do yiddish and are more open minded and not yeshivish

Chayalle

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 10:59 am

amother wrote:

Officially Lakewood children get transported by bus but there are lots of politics about the cost of courtesy busing going on right now, and it's a bit up in the air. Also there have been issues with there not being enough available buses for the many routes, and some kids in various schools don't have busing yet. My sister drives her daughter to school every day and she is supposed to receive some $$ - aid in lieu of busing - but it's not much.

Schools that have a lunch program, yes it's free based on income, or reduced. I don't qualify for free/reduced hot lunches and used to pay per month in Bais Faiga, but as of this year I was told I don't need to pay since they get so much anyway.

Some schools require you to pay if you don't qualify for free/reduced (and you don't have the option to home-lunch).

amother

Blue

Fri, Dec 04 2015, 11:02 am

Hot lunch is based on income.

In orchos chaim I pay about $50 per month for each child for hot lunch, it is mandatory to pay if not eligible. They also get breakfast (I think a lot of boys schools give it because of the bus schedule)

In Tiferes Bais Yaakov they are part of some federal program that everyone gets free lunch and snacks regardless of income.

As of now busing is provided **free of charge for everyone. There is a lot of talk of stopping busing for elementary students who live closer then 2 miles and high schools students that live closer then 2 1/2 miles. But I doubt it will happen. If you live too far from the school it could be you are no longer eligible, I'm not sure.
We pay for Sunday, Summer and before school busing in my son's school separately.

(It doesn't always work: My son's did not have busing the first the first 2 months of school, the BOE reimburses about $4\day per student. The school is actually helping us get paid that money. It isn't a lot, and not enough to cover paying for transportation. Last year my daughter didn't have coming home transportation for 4 months. It was a pain in the neck).

** property taxes are very high so in the end we are really paying.

amother

Denim

Sun, Dec 06 2015, 2:07 pm

I have a son in Kol Torah. I don't want to discuss it on a public forum so I will only say (1)I will not send any more of my sons there because I would want a place that is more Yeshivshe (2)If you do enroll make sure to have in writing ALL fees and tuition you will be paying to the school including future tuition increases. They are very strict about tuition and will also be asking you for other expenses as well .(e.g. registration, the dinner, lunch if you don't qualify for the government lunch program etc.)And every year you can expect a raise in tuition. They are officially working on a building. I'm sure the parents will be required to pay for that too....

amother

Azure

Sun, Dec 06 2015, 11:52 pm

amother wrote:

As far as your second point goes, every school is like that.

amother

Blue

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 9:25 am

both schools I send to have a building fund, VERY large difference between the 2, but they have it.

dinner fund and after the first $1000 building fund is 'optional' but they will still ask for it over and over again.

Lunch is mandatory.

Sunday and Summer busing is mandatory.

Yearly registration is mandatory (although I talked to a friend OOT and our registration was a joke compared to hers).

and every school raises tuition almost yearly, sometimes they will take a break for one year but it always goes up. Its pretty standard that there is 3% cost of living increase every year. I'm guessing the yeshivas have to cover that.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 9:42 am

Orchas Chaim is the most expensive school besides for tashbar. $50 for school lunch sounds very high. most schools I know charge $30 a month. They have a lot of little extra charges that other schools don't have. If you have three kids in school that's another $60 extra a month. Also tuition is higher and competition between parents with how much money they tip rabbeim is higher in these schools. With a school like shragas aryeh if you give $50 to a rebbe you are generous and $75 is over the top a school like orchas Chaim you have to give $250 for Chanuka to the rebbe to stand out.

These little extras sometimes are what puts parents over their budget.

amother

Blue

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 9:58 am

I send to orchos Chaim and am giving $25\rebbe for Chanuka. Based on the boys in my son's class I believe that is average or high ( many are still learning, living in 2 bedroom apartments or renting small homes). I have a family member who is a rebbe there and double checked with him and he said that is very average or on the high end. there are those who give more but it is not regular.

Our building fund is one of the highest, $5000\family.

amother

Aquamarine

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 10:26 am

question for other Lakewood mothers. My son is in primary, so this is the first year that he has a (wonderful) rebbi. I got a call that the class mother is collecting $10 per child for a chanuka present for the rebbi. Am I expected to also send a check of my own in addition??

amother

Blue

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 11:08 am

If there is a class mother send what they ask.

You can send Purim, succos, Pesach instead.

Orchos Chaim doesn't have class mother so there is more of a pressure to give chanuka.

I go with my kids before succos and on purim to bring a bottle of wine, not just to show hakaras hatov, but to show my kids that we have to say thank you to a teacher. I once heard it in a parenting speech and I've found it to be great.

amother

Denim

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 11:49 am

amother wrote:

As far as your second point goes, every school is like that.

May be true but Kol Torah charges very high tuition to begin with. I don't know anyone else who is paying over $7,000 a year for their sons tuition.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 12:20 pm

All my friends send to orchas Chaim and they are all outbidding each other with who gives the rebbe more. I know because it's discussed who gave what. Most schools have a class mother to stop this practice orchas on purpose doesn't want a group collection so that the rabbeim get more money.

Also I have a sibling who is a rebbe there and its the best place in Lakewood to be a rebbe because parents definitely give the most money to rabbeim in that school.

The school collects money before pesach for the rabbeim. Definitely if you are looking for a rebbe job that's the school to be a rebbe in.

amother

Blue

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 12:41 pm

They collect before each major yom tov for rebbeim. I've been asked once in the 5 years I've been a parent in the school. Supposedly they try to ask each family once or twice over a long period of time. It started because there was a parent (or grandparent) years ago who used to give money to every rebbe in the school before yom tov, and then it became too big, so now they try to collect from parents. I don't know if they ask everyone, but there is no pressure to say yes.

I'm not aware of competition to give. And as I said my relative who is a rebbe there is not making big bucks from chanuka presents like you are saying. I have one friend who has a son who has special needs and she does give more, she feels her son needs a lot more effort on the part of the rebbe and he gets it - but even then it is no where close to $250. But I haven't heard it from anyone else. I feel no pressure to give more then I do. It is true that it is a great school to be a rebbe in because they pay well and on time.

Emaplus4

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 1:11 pm

For my daughters school it 30 for the morahs. Lizzie4 I thank you for the list of school but I was so busy I didnt even jave a chance to reply and I saw someone else write in regards to yeshiva saying that she is frum but not yeshivish. And got confused which schools for her and I. I have the list already but it doesn't really help me much as I don't know what kind of schools they are. The thing is my husband and I want a place that is yeshivish. We would like a place that is like 60% kollel family's and 40% yeshiva belabati. And iam not sure how kol Torah is.

mommyla

Mon, Dec 07 2015, 1:19 pm

amother wrote:

May be true but Kol Torah charges very high tuition to begin with. I don't know anyone else who is paying over $7,000 a year for their sons tuition.

I am, all mandatory fees (not including dinner or other donations) included. Not in Kol Torah.