Hi everyone. I hope you had a good Hanukkah and are able to enjoy some time off with family and friends during the upcoming winter break. As I've mentioned, the primary job of Board President is to ensure our school's fiscal health. So if I'm having a conversation with you and I don't bring up money, I'm slacking off. Here goes:
1) Annual Fund: As you may recall, tuition funds and grants cover 90% of our expenses -- from teacher salaries, to books and art supplies. This means that we rely on the generosity of people like you, who value Jewish education and all that this school does for our children and our extraordinary community, for the remaining 10% (roughly $1,500 per student).
Please understand how important it is that all of us donate to the Annual Fund. Our participation demonstrates to our external donors (whose support is essential to reaching our goal) that Weizmann has a committed parent community. It also demonstrates to our kids that their education is a top priority that merits our Tzedakah. Please join the entire Weizmann Board of Trustees in contributing to this year's Annual Fund. No gift is too small. We hope that if you gave last year, you are able to give a bit more. And if you are new to giving, we hope you will give a gift that is meaningful to you and your family. Todah!
2) Matching Grant: Now that you have your checkbook out, I'd like to let you know about a matching grant that may inspire your friends, relatives or acquaintances to become Weizmann supporters too. The AVI CHAI Foundation in partnership with the Jewish Funders Network, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, and the Kohelet Foundation are matching any new gifts to Jewish day schools of $10,000 or more from non-parent supporters with 50 cents matched on every dollar. If you know someone who values Jewish education and might like to take advantage of this unique opportunity, please email Mackenzie Means or call (626) 797-0204 today! The deadline is January 13, 2013. (Please find attached a letter you can personalize to contact potential MATCH contributors.)
3) 2013/14 Tuition: Every December, as new inquiries and applications begin to come in, our Board votes on the tuition adjustment for the next school year. Adjusting tuition is essential to maintaining a balanced budget while providing cost-of-living adjustments to teacher and staff salaries and keeping up with increasing premiums for health insurance and worker's compensation insurance. In addition, since PJTC has generously subsidized our rent since the school's inception, we are making efforts to step up those contributions as PJTC provides improvements such as new windows, doors, and heaters.
Despite increasing costs, the Board felt it critical to minimize our tuition adjustment as many families are still feeling the pinch of hard economic times. As a result, we agreed to increase tuition by 5-6%. 2013/14 tuition will be: Kindergarten: $13,405,1st-5th: $14,905, 6th-8th: $16,905. Please note that tuition assistance is available for families who qualify. Our school makes every effort to accommodate families who want a Weizmann education for their child. Please feel free to contact me with questions regarding this year's tuition adjustment or the office for more information on tuition assistance.
Thanks for your attention and support. I wish you a very healthy and Happy New Year!
All the best, Galit
