What is the solution? Lakewood

amother

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:31 pm

Everyone here is probably familiar with the school crisis in Lakewood elementary schools where many people do not get into their top 3.4,5, or 6th choice school, parents are left begging for spots, and meanwhile schools are overcrowded and teachers and overworked.
Additionally there are hundreds of families moving to the area every year with school aged children wanting to get their kids into O
Do you have any ideas on a realistic solution to ensure all Jewish children are in a school while the schools do not become excessively overcrowded?

Lakewood currently has around 80 elementary schools with new ones opening virtually every year. However most parents do not want to send to a brand new school.

Everyone complains about this issue- myself included- but I wonder if there is any realistic solution

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:35 pm

People need to be willing to send to the new schools. That is the solution. Many of the "new" schools are older now and most are successful. The track record in lakewood is pretty good, why are people so wary of the new schools? I happily sent to a new school.

amother

Red

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:43 pm

Well, I sent to a new high school, and they went on to enroll a particular type of crowd that caused quite a bunch of problems for my child and my family.

So now I’m wary of sending to a brand new place, having no clue in which direction that new place might be heading.

ETA: I also suspect they davka mislead me, in order to first enroll and then retain my child, who would be a good student and good for their reputation.

amother

Cornsilk

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:43 pm

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

This
People are being ridiculous.
They ask for a solution- open new schools.
Well the askanim graciously open the schools for all the people who decide to move in. Then those people say sorry, we don’t want a new school.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading on the other thread. She was cursing every Lakewood principal, but when people pointed out that new schools were open for new kids like hers, she got even angrier.
She said would you send to a Jew school you don’t know about, why should I?
Why should you? Because the old schools are full with kids who were there before yours. The next schools will be built for the next kids.
The problem is solved if people would be realistic.
If you can’t be, then don’t move there.
It’s called being an adult so learning to live with the reality that is given to us

amother

Mulberry

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:51 pm

I would gladly send to a new school. I'm in Monsey. They don't open schools here like they do in Lakewood although there's a huge huge demand.
Sometimes I feel like I should move to Lakewood where I at least get an option of a new school.

amother

Aqua

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:51 pm

If your looking for a real solution someone posted on a thread re traffic that they should move bmg to a different location. (It wasnt my post and I dont remember the exact post. If someone can find it that would be great!) that would mean the young couples moveing there!

amother

Bluebell

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:57 pm

It's all about money. I have heard countless Rabbainim cry for years and years that the schools need more money. Smaller classes, better teachers, better classrooms. And yet it seems that every organization gets the megabucks but the Jewish schools are left out in the cold. Haven't we learnt anything in the last 100 years about prioritizing the chinuch of our children above all else?

amother

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 5:57 pm

amother [ Buttercup ] wrote:

OP, which 80 elementary schools are there in Lakewood?

Approximebtally 40 for each gender were listed in the voice, including Chasidish schools. I don’t have the list on hand.

amother

DarkRed

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:00 pm

amother [ Bluebell ] wrote:

If the schools would not treat parents like scum and vilify them for not being able to afford full tuition, they might be more inclined to donate to those schools when their income improves. Instead they destroy any relationship with the parents, who then find alternate destinations for their tzedakah dollars.

amother

Bluebell

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:02 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

I'm sorry but that's the wrong answer.

Give your money to a different school if this one got you upset, there are plenty of schools to choose from. Especially girls high schools.

amother

DarkRed

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:06 pm

amother [ Bluebell ] wrote:

I'm sorry but that's the wrong answer.

Give your money to a different school if this one got you upset, there are plenty of schools to choose from. Especially girls high schools.

…who also treat parents this way.

amother

Bluebell

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:13 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

…who also treat parents this way.

So Lakewood kids are doomed to squashed classrooms, bad teachers, etc because you dont like the schools attitudes. Got it.

amother

Charcoal

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 6:18 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

Wait what? You aren’t donating to your child’s school because you don’t like that they tried to get you to pay more tuition? Did they educate your child even when you weren’t paying your share of tuition or nah?

amother

DarkRed

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:00 pm

amother [ Charcoal ] wrote:

I don't live in Lakewood, so maybe I shouldn't have posted here.

But no, when the schools made me miserable and I lived a very painfully poor lifestyle for years to pay partial tuition, which they didn't even appreciate, just yelled at me that I couldn't pay more. We're talking my electricity getting cut off, running out of food stamps and not being able to buy anything else. And they still were awful to me.

So no I don't donate to schools that don't appreciate the sacrifices parents are making to pay even discounted tuition.

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:03 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

Maybe you should edit and say that on your other posts because it's not relevant to the situation here. I moved to lakewood because I lived somewhere else that treated me that way. For some places it's only about money.

amother

Clematis

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:04 pm

This thread will probably go on for 10 pages but the answer was already written.

PEOPLE BEING OPEN TO SENDING TO NEW SCHOOLS.

Now everyone can keep fighting all night for for the rest of tomorrow

amother

Calendula

Wed, Jan 05 2022, 7:05 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

That was not my experience at all. Not in elementary, one mesivta and two different girls high schools. They were all very nice about giving us discounts and not pressuring us too much when we were behind on our payments. They would call and ask for the money, but they were always very nice when I explained why I was behind.

One of the reasons why I daven for more money is to be able to repay them what I owe. I owe thousands to one elementary and one mesivta that my children already graduated from.