A private school has more to concern itself than providing an excellent education. It is an entity that needs a vision, as well as administration and faculty who connect, in addition to the mission, to the ongoing process of fundraising as well. The whole idea of fundraising for private schools is that even those who pay full tuition do not cover the total cost to educate their child/children. Add to that the need for financial aid, and you see the need.

A private school needs, as does a business, (and, for my money, as do public schools) a solid idea of the desires and needs of the community it serves. Some of your questions resonate with me, as I wonder about my family’s future in the Twin Cities. Why do we as a Jewish community buy into this garbage of the cross-river Hatfields and McCoys? I didn’t grow up here, but what did these two cities DO to each other back in the day to foster so much antipathy, if not animosity? Are there not people on both sides who are concerned enough with the future to get beyond this odd fractionation?

The question of support of multiple day schools is not cut and dry. School-age population is cyclical; the administration at the college where I work is talking of the hit in enrollment we are expecting as the decrease in school-aged students progresses past secondary school. To know that we are not alone, look at the number of other school closing or closed in the past year or two.

Location is an issue, as what is available is not always accessible. (My family has no one near us to ride share, etc. If we are not in the position to drive the kids to Highland Park or Minneapolis, they cannot go to school in Highland Park or Minneapolis.) Feelings about the ‘other’ aside, many are not in the position to get to one school or the other. Lose one option, and you lose Jewish education for those who were utilizing their only option.

What’s next? That will depend. Do we know what Jews around the area want for their children? Not really, no. How do schools connect with unaffiliated (not associated with a synagogue) families? I wish I knew, because from all reports, there are no successful ways so far. A Jewish day school was not even on our radar until one of the kids came home from pre-school and asked, “Why can’t we love Jesus?” (Please understand that if you, dear reader, happen to, I support that relationship you have to the fullest. It just isn’t right for us.) Looking back, if living so far from other Jews on a daily basis had not included an incident to shock us into action, we would have missed, our children would have missed out on an amazing advantage they have gained in going to a day school. (Last night they read aloud from a children’s book about Moses, which was great. But when we ended the chapter and said it was time for bed, they regaled us with the full-throated (and fully-accurate) rendition of Mi Chamocha! Get THAT from public school!)

Finally, might our kids become ‘Good Jews’, that is, informed, passionate, leaders connected to Torah and the community, without TTSP? Could be, but WITH TTSP it is has already begun to happen. Would we be better off with one fewer institution producing this type of future for the Twin Cities Jewish community?