An additional note: like many businesses, and in particular most non-profit organizations, our school will face significant and difficult financial months ahead. To date, lost revenue, credits and refunds total a loss of more than half a million dollars to our school budget. I share this information with you openly, not to evoke guilt, sympathy or anger, but to provide you with a clear picture of the real and immediate financial impact on this school year
and
the year ahead.
Beyond the budget deficit, we also know that many families will continue to need additional tuition relief in the upcoming school year. The Board of Directors and our ECC Staff are planning for this reality, and we are committed to doing what we can to support families with expanded tuition relief assistance this upcoming school year.
And so we respectfully ask, if you are in the position to donate some or all of your refund back to our school, please email Allison Truscheit in our Finance Department (
atruscheit@vbsds.org
) for the details.
We thank all of you for your understanding as we aim to responsibly navigate our school’s and families’ futures.
What’s Next?
Unless you indicate otherwise, our finance department will prepare a refund check and mail it directly to you. Please allow 10-14 business days for this transaction to be completed.
FALL TUITION & PAYMENT FOR 2020-2021 POSTPONED
Typically, May 15 marks the due date for the upcoming school year’s first tuition payment. This date is strategically set so that our office can plan appropriately for the school year ahead. We must know how many children are enrolled so that we can confidently extend employment agreements to teachers, finalize calendars, begin purchasing materials, and confirm the vendor and specialist contracts we rely on to support children’s and families' school experience.
Yet, we are extremely sensitive to the fact that these times have created financial uncertainty for so many. Therefore,
we will defer ALL 2020-2021 tuition payments until July 15, 2020.
With this change, a ten month payment plan will run July 2020 - April 2021, and a two month payment plan will be set for July and December 2020. This deferral will provide all of us with the benefit of time and, hopefully, more definitive information as we inch closer to our
anticipated September school start date.
Beginning your payments on May 15 is still an option. If you prefer this arrangement (May 15, 2020 - February 15, 2021), please email Allison Truscheit in our Finance Department (
atruscheit@vbsds.org
). For any additional financial questions or concerns, please email me (
amars@vbs.org
) and Karin Mendel, our Director of Finance (
kmendel@vbsds.org
). We are here to help.
SUMMER PROGRAM
There is nothing we want more than to celebrate this summer with your little ones on campus! Molly Mills, Camp Director, and our Administrative Team continue to plan with an
eye towards a late June/early July camp start date
. We will provide you with details just as soon as possible.
CONTINUED SUPPORT
As part of our core mission and anchored by our Jewish values, the VBS Synagogue and Schools continue to provide a wide range of support services for children and adults. Counseling, chat and support groups, parent education, clergy counsel, community worship, events and programs continue uninterrupted. Refer to our website
HERE
for contact information and an updated schedule of events and programs. Please reach out to us so we can be of service.
We are delighted that so many of you have already inquired and offered your support. If you'd like to volunteer in service to others (the elderly, the food insecure, the isolated) please contact Nitzan Barlev (
nbarlev@vbs.org
), VBS Volunteer Engagement & Community Organizing Coordinator. There are many opportunities to care for our extended community and we thank you.
What has always sustained this community is our ability to care for one another. Though we are
all
in need at this moment, it is evermore important to remain tethered - to laugh together, to worry together, but most of all, to imagine
what
and
who
we will be
together
when we are reunited physically some day very soon.
With gratitude and hope,
