Pinellas County Jewish Day School to close

After 30 years, the Pinellas County Jewish Day School will graduate its last class June 2, and cease operations at the end of the school year — if it makes it that long.

Only recently seated, the PCJDS Board of Directors, “saddened and filled with disbelief,” made the announcement in a vetted statement to the parents and then to the Jewish Press on Friday morning, April 30.

“Our funds will allow us to get through the end of this school year provided that parents continue to honor their tuition and emergency campaign responsibilities for the next six weeks,” the statement said.

The announcement came despite a successful $350,000 emergency campaign by the previous board, followed immediately by a $1 million campaign to guarantee operations next school year.

According to school officials, pledges had already neared the $1-million mark, the amount the school’s new business plan indicated was necessary — in addition to tuition — to almost bring the school up to date on debts accumulated over the years — not including the mortgage for the school and its recent expansion.

The final factor that signaled the end came as somewhat of a surprise to school officials — a drop in re-enrollment far greater than anticipated.

“Unfortunately, this past week when re-enrollment contracts were due, it became apparent that the school was not going to secure the minimum tuition revenue needed to execute a viable financial plan for next year,” the board statement said.

The board, however, was quick to stress that parents not re-enrolling their children was only one factor. “Many will seek to assign blame, but this result is due to many factors over many years,” the statement said.

This year and last, the school had to launch a late-in-the-year emergency campaign to finish the school year.

Earlier in the week, a school leader said not only has the economy caused some parents to withdraw their children or not re-enroll, but uncertainty about the school’s future has caused some to a lack of confidence in the school for some.

Plus, tuition for the new year was increased to $15,000 — although that was about the same total amount of this year’s tuition and an additional late year emergency campaign assessment.

This year there are 140 students enrolled with 50 percent requiring some degree of scholarship assistance (up about 10 percent from normal). The plan for the new school year called for 50 percent of the students to again receive some form of scholarship.

Re-enrollments by the deadline fell far short of this year’s 140, and an even higher percentage of students needed scholarship help.

“In the past months, many people with undying dedication to the school including parents, teachers, administrators, donors and community leaders, have fought long and hard to save our 30-year-old school. Countless hours have been spent meeting, planning, budgeting and strategizing to assure a future for the school,” the board’s statement said. “… This news is heartbreaking to all of us as we consider the impact on our children, our dedicated teachers and our community.

We all wish you and your children good health and good luck in the future.”

Nineteen eighth-graders will graduate from PCJDS this year.

A school official said it could not be totally ruled out that the decision could be reversed, but it was more in a “never say never” context.

PCJDS, located in Clearwater, is a Solomon Schecter School which is associated with the Conservative movement.

Following the announcement, some parents reportedly were already discussing enrolling in the independent Hillel School of Tampa.

Federation reaction

“Jerry and I are deeply saddened,” said Joan Benstock, president of the Jewish Federationof Pinellas & Pasco Counties. “We were among the founders of that school. Our grandchildren went there.”

“It was a proud day for the community, when we could say we had a Jewish day school. That makes it even sadder now,” she said. “It’s a loss not just for the kids and parents, but for the entire community.”

Likewise, Federation President-elect Sheldon Scheinert, whose son Gregg graduated from PCJDS, said, “There is no question that this is a blow to the Jewish community. The value of the school, with its mission of providing a top quality general education, accompanied by the instillation of Jewish culture, values, and language to our children, cannot be overstated.

“We must however, as a group, understand that we cannot let this temporary loss break the bonds that hold us together as a cohesive community. As the Day School unwound, the most troubling aspect to me was bearing witness to the discord that developed between previously fast-friends, as separate camps and competing agendas seemed to unfold...”

“It is time for us now to consider how to move forward. The Day School loss must indeed be impermanent,” he said.

JTA news service

Approximately 200,000 students are attending some 700 Jewish day schools in the United States.

Tuition averages about $14,000 per student and has increased 7 percent a year over the past five years, overwhelming many families that have struggled to maintain wage levels or even stay employed.

For example, a Jewish Day School in Memphis closed early last month.

In Orange County, CA, the Morasha Jewish Day School will be closing after 23 years, having lost 15 families to financial woes.

In northern New Jersey, Solomon Schechter closed its Teaneck high school, rendering travel to an alternative Schechter high school unrealistic for some families that had used the closed school.

A number of Jewish day schools across the country closed last year when donors could not keep their commitments. Many this year reported enrollments cut almost in half.