Yeshiva Sanity: Video an Example of Fiscal Prudence?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Video an Example of Fiscal Prudence?

He'atid is encouraging volunteers to help assemble furniture and computers at the school to reduce costs of hiring outside vendors. And I'm guessing from the quality of the video below that it was done by a volunteer as well. We've done posts about marketing expenses and whether or not its really worth it for schools to pay to have slick videos produced to market the schools. Hopefully He'atid can utilize the volunteer army they are assembling to help make good on the cost reductions they promised.

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not sustainable · 658 weeks ago

Soda sounds like a he'atid board member trying to water down the anger throughout the community. Transparent and self sustainable are their two favorite mottos and both are obvious shams and lies.

When was the last local preschool opened in town in a rental and had over 1.3 in startup costs.

I know several experienced and established pre-k programs in town in nicer facilities for 6 to 8 k.

Can someone please explain to me how the community saved 600k. Sounds like it cost us money.

2 replies · active 658 weeks ago

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Guest · 658 weeks ago

nice "bump" of your post :)

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CJ Srullowitz · 658 weeks ago

While I didn't think the CONCEPT of the video was terribly sophisticated, I wouldn't describe it as "lame." I think it was professionally done.

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chumpy · 658 weeks ago

chabad is opening up a pre-school at Shaare Tefilla. Bet they didn't need 1.3 million :)

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Upset · 658 weeks ago

Im tired that Heatid keeps mentioning outside sources. Who are the outside sources? Clearly they view the entire BC as one, thus a mass email. My kids cant go to the school. Why should I send them money? BC they are "saving jewish education?" I dont buy it.

I have spoken to a board member. The board members family is so disatisfied with the school they are, most likely, not sending their children

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End Welfare · 658 weeks ago

It is so funny to me how bitter and resentful legacy school "apologists" will say and do anything to disparage Heatid. He'atid is at full capacity with a waiting list in certain grades and people come on here spreading lies and rumors about how a board member isn't satisfied with the school (which makes no sense because the school hasn't opened yet). I hope you enjoy paying your full legacy-school tuition rates this year! I'm sure the education will be far superior to that of Heatid (sarcasm very much intended).

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chumpy · 658 weeks ago

Speaks volumes that some teachers aren't even sending their children to he'atid.

He'atid is fully simple based on price. Unfortunately, the parents don't care too much about the educational value, after all " how much can they mess my 5 year old up". The parents don't care about the fundraising to sustain tuition, after all " I don't need to give them money, as long as I only pay 9K, who cares where or how they get the rest".

He'atid is not the general community's issue to sustain and not the actual families, yet only 80 or so are benefiting.

2 replies · active 658 weeks ago

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Mark 50p · 658 weeks ago

... yet only 80 or so are benefiting.

No new school should be permitted to open unless it immediately opens with all the grades so that the entire community can benefit :-)

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CJ Srullowitz · 658 weeks ago

"permitted"? By whom?

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chumpy · 658 weeks ago

I disagree, only schools that claim to solve the communities problems and claim to save the community over $600 K.

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

Anyone who is sending kids to Pre-K in Yavneh, Moriah or RYNJ is benefiting enormously from He'atid pushing their tuition costs down.

1 reply · active 658 weeks ago

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Guest · 658 weeks ago

Moriah raised tuition 2 years in a row in the upper grades. My guess is to offset the loss they are taking on lower pre-k numbers. One could argue that this is a wash.

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Question · 658 weeks ago

Weren't Moriah & Yavneh's tuition lower before He'Atid?

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

No sir. Yavneh's 2011-2012 tuition schedule is still up on their website: http://yavnehacademy.org/sites/default/files/YAVN...
It was $11,850. Now it's $8,750

Moriah's is now $8,500. I don't have the 2011-2012 schedule but in the 2010-2011 schedule it was $11,420. The following year it was probably even more.

Suddenly these schools found out they could run their pre-schools for much less.

1 reply · active 658 weeks ago

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CJ Srullowitz · 658 weeks ago

So you see: they DID save the rest of the community money, because their presence "encouraged" the other schools to lower tuition.

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

Chumpy,

My guess is that the $600K is just 100 kids times an estimate of $6k off the all-in price at the other schools. I don't think that much hard analysis went into it. You could argue that they didn't save from the general community because they are fundraising but they can say that fundraising dollars aren't the same as tuition dollars. Fundraising dollars are tax-deductible and come from people with a couple extra dollars to spend - they don't force people into public schools. You could say they take away from other community needs but we don't really know if those dollars would have been spent within the community or even if they would have been spent on charities at all.

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Miami Al · 658 weeks ago

They are raising money at a good clip, they are getting institutional support, and they are putting out some impressive marketing materials. They are doing a good mix of "small and scrappy" - volunteer to build furniture, while raising 7-figures to prove their concept.

Sounds like a great, well run organization.

And a bunch of bitter losers whining about someone trying to do something "how dare they indeed."

Even if the thought police on this blog don't approve.

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End Welfare · 658 weeks ago

"And a bunch of bitter losers whining about someone trying to do something "how dare they indeed."

You said it best Miami Al. Just sour grapes from legacy school apologists.

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Miami Al · 658 weeks ago

Why do you think that that video was done by a volunteer? I bet it took a ton of takes to get it like that... that's a visual style they used.

I thought it was professional and well done. Nothing about that school has seemed amateur hour.

Including the constantly fundraising and self promotion. That's HOW successful organizations run. It's always better to raise/borrow money when you don't need it, when you need it is when the money has teeth.

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Upset · 658 weeks ago

It is the responsibility of the community to support yeshiva education for all. It is not the responsibility of the community to support a new school which has 3 grades. We are seeing the realization of what many said months ago: Heatid did not have a plan past asking people for money. Most people are sending to Heatid bc of price. Most do not have extra to give or are using extra to pay for camp, vacation, other tzedaka or even having another child. They will not be giving it to Heatid voluntarily. "Legacy schools" know this; thus mandatory journal, building funds and family fees. Heatid expects the community to give them money under the guise of saving the community. The extra tuition and fees I pay to a legacy school are my contribution to scholarship. the rest of my tzedaka will go to Project Ezra and Tomchei Shabboos, not a school of three grades.

End Welfare- if you believe I am spreading rumors about board members not sending their kids, just cross check board members with class lists when they are available.

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Sora · 658 weeks ago

Upset - you are using this fundraising letter as a red herring. no one is forcing the community to support them - it isn't a tax levied on the community. A letter went out - people can feel free to give. I am fairly certain the letter didnt say the school is going to close if it dosnt' get community support.
Why shouldnt they fundraise? Are you afraid people will see He'atid as a promising institution? No one lied about He'atid - from the beginning it was clearly stated that year 1 was not a break even year - that comes a bit later on. it is interesting that you say that no one will be giving to He'atid voluntarily - people have been giving all along - that is how the school was able to raise initial start up costs - why do you think people will stop giving now?

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Sora · 658 weeks ago

Every board member who has a kid of age to go to He'atid is sending at least one of their kids. You are correct - some are not sending all of their kids. some reasons might be: their kids are too old for the school, their kids are already entrenched /have friends in the schools they have. But what's your point - you really think the Board of He'atid - after all the work they have done, after all the hatred that has been spoken about them in the community, doesn't passionately believe in the school? And if a board member is so disgusted with the school as you say and because of that wont send their kids to the school - why on earth would they stay on the board?

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Sora · 658 weeks ago

YD - i think Moriah's tuition might have been lowered for last year, but YNJ's is only being lowered this year - they offered a special package for preschool students. So at the very least Yavneh and YNJ lowered their preschool tuition.

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Just wondering · 658 weeks ago

Sora - so in other words, Heatid is taking credit for "forcing" the other schools to lower their tuition? Is that how they compute the $600,000 and $5,000,000?

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Sora · 658 weeks ago

no - yd explained the $600k in his post above. the $600k is connected to the savings of the He'atid parent body. the lowering of tuition in other schools was brought up to show how others in the community might be benefiting from He'atid.
show me where he'atid took credit for that? i give them credit - as do yd and many others - but idont see them taking credit.

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Just wondering · 658 weeks ago

Sora - got it. Only problem is that the savings don't equal $600,000 and whatever savings they realize should consider the cost of the donation they made to get the school started. I do agree though that the savings wasn't a community savings but rather for the heatid parent body. The pamphlet was great marketing but like many communications from heatid put a lot of people off. Not just those affiliated with the current schools who feel "threatened" but those in the community who find the marketing a bit too slick (some would say obnoxious), a bit too early (to be declaring success) and a bit irrelevant to their situation.

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Fact · 658 weeks ago

Can we all agree on one thing. Heatid costs more than 9k, despite no services being offered. It is simple to understand ...parents only pay 9k, can volunteer to donate or go dinner, but a large portion of costs for this no frills, low services program comes from outsiders. It is funny how for years people complain about community subsidies, but here every student is on subsidy.

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Anne · 658 weeks ago

no fact -i dont agree - you need to differentiate start up costs from costs that keep the school running. and if we use your reasoning - then legacy schools aren' t charging $15k or whatever it is - but they are charging each parent that plus whatever donations they get from the community - so really legacies are costing families and the community thousands of more dollars not just what they advertise as tuition.

just wondering - your argument is wrong - almost all if not all the students going to He'atid would have gone to yeshiva day school - so they as members of the community are saving money. at least $5k over the legacy school's tuition.
but who says that the major donations came from the community? and any money that did come from the community - why are you so sure that money would have been spent on your legacy school? perhaps that money came to He'atid because the donors are only interested in He'atid - not in other schools -

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Just wondering · 658 weeks ago

Anne - sorry to be argumentative but you are wrong. First, the cost of the alternatives do not all cost "at least $5k" more (really $5,454 incorrectly asserted by heatid in their marketing materials), most are much less. Second, the parents attending heatid were asked to donate before the school started or the school wouldn't start. unless these donations were refunded this should be included in their cost. Third, the savings were for the parents who sent, not for the community. It is only a savings for the community if the "savings" are reinvested in the community. Fourth, there were already lower cost alternatives that parents could have sent to besides heatid so the only "savings" is that these parents are now willing to take advantage of a no-frills option where before they were unwilling to send to lubavitch of jfs. So, while there are no real savings to the community, the school has increased the overall cost of schooling in our community by at least 1.3m. bummer.

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

I guess calling the video "Lame" was a little harsh. I apologize to the producer of the video & I took that word out. It was creative. I just meant that it didn't look like there were major production costs in it.

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Guest · 658 weeks ago

Didn't he'atid announce a while back that they had a donor to match up to 1 million dollars. If they raised 1.3, shouldn't it really be 2.3? What happened there?

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reality · 658 weeks ago

My son is going to an established pre-k program this year that has more services than what heatid is offering. My tuition plus registration is cheaper than heatid with no scholarship. Half of heatid's first year classes are pre-k. So again, with hundreds of thousands donated from within community hoe does heatid claim they saved the community 600k. Again, it a subsidy program and for enrolled families Ok w no services within their children's school, which may be needed from time to time go right ahead ...take the subsidy. I know many families with deep concerns enrolled ...but did so for one reason. $9,000. They do not plan to go to dinner or donate a dime. Also, they have no problem checking out after a year.

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painkiller please · 658 weeks ago

If people think tuition crisis is resolved they will have a rude awakening unfortunately. I know families w difficulty paying the 9k subsidized tuition at heatid.

Dora sounds like a user name for a heatid board member as the arguments and positions taken are they typical heatid spin game.

Here we go again, start of another school year and the truth is no program is sustainable. Even heatid cannot bank on subsidies for decades to come.

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exposed · 658 weeks ago

Here is what is scary: 1.3 million raised, another 200k needed and 900k in tuition revenue, equals a first year budget of 2.4 million dollars for 100 kids to attend preschool. Read that again- 2.4 million dollars for 100 kids to attend a preschool! A preschool with zero track record, no real facilities and no frills. That comes out to 24k per kid! I think we have just found the real tuition crisis with the highest cost per student preschool in Bergen County history.

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End Welfare · 658 weeks ago

So many bitter pathetic legacy apologists (or maybe just one under multiple screen names). I love it!

1 reply · active 658 weeks ago

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

You're right about the multiple screen names.
-YD

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Carlton Terrace · 658 weeks ago

I have not posted on this topic. I find this discussion interesting, with a few observations:

1. It is pretty clear to me that if YD is ot sending any of his siblings to Heatid, he is clearly a Heatid apologist. I have not read one post from him concerning Heatid that was not complimentory. OTOH, virtually every post about legacy is schools is somewhat critical and/or deragatory.

2. I liked the video, but it made very little impression on me one way or another. I am sort of surprised that they are still shnorring money from the community after a huge enrollment plus cash from Avi Chai. It makes me wonder what their costs really are.

3. The verdict on Heatid is still out. There is no way to know if their educational model is superior, inferior, or just garners the same results as everyone else. I have read and heard many arguments, and I think the prudent thing would be to see the actual results. Everything else is simply conjecture at this point.

4. We still need an overall comprehensive solution to the tuition crisis. I am still waiting for the community rabbis/leaders/Winthrops to step us with a real plan.

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

Carlton,

My siblings have all graduated 1st grade long ago so they will not be attending He'atid.

If you think I never Criticize He'atid or say anything positive about other schools then you haven't been reading this blog for very long. I suggest you go back and read the old posts. Links to them are on the lower right side of the main page.

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teaneck parent · 658 weeks ago

YD, even though you removed "lame" from your article title, the word still shows in the web address. Oh well.

1 reply · active 658 weeks ago

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Yeshiva_Dad 69p · 658 weeks ago

Ill try to figure out how to change that
-YD

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