Coalition Launches Effort to Utilize Our Community’s Voting Power to Bring School Choice to Frum Families Mounting costs of tuition have made it perhaps the most crushing of all financial burdens facing frum parents. It’s a tough place for frum parents to be — trying to do what’s best for their child, all while buckling under the burden of tuition. But what if there was something we could do? What if frum parents could experience tuition relief in a significant, game-changing, life-altering way? States like Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and more than 20 others, have laws of some sort providing funding for nonpublic school families. The relief amounts to millions of dollars each year. New Jersey does not yet have such a system — but it can if we do something about it. At the behest and with the strong encouragement of the Lakewood roshei yeshiva and rabbonim, a community coalition has been formed with one goal: to help New Jersey families experience relief with their largest financial burden, school tuition. By utilizing the power of our community as a voting bloc, we can prevail upon state officials to approve school choice. Contrary to the assumptions of some, school choice is not a strictly Republican issue. It can be a reality in a Democrat-leaning state like New Jersey, as well. There are various forms and structures of school choice assistance. If the public makes its voice heard, relief can be implemented.  Voting blocs are immensely influential. As a community, we have tremendous power and clout if we vote together as a bloc. This will push the politicians be receptive to our call for school choice to be placed at the top of their agenda. This new coalition, its members explain, has been established for one purpose only: to bring about change in the form of tuition relief. The group will not be getting involved in politics or other issues whatsoever. Prior to launching this initiative, askanim spoke to many experts and consultants to get a comprehensive understanding of the matter. Experts and representatives of various communal organizations have expressed their strong support and are committed to this undertaking. The coalition’s goal is to build as broad a base as possible, and thus representatives of the coalition have met and are working with other frum communities across the state and other private school communities as well. As all these communities share the same needs and desires in regard to school choice and tuition relief, they can serve as natural partners in calling upon politicians to bring change to New Jersey.   In Lakewood specifically, the goal will be to construct a strong, broad-based, grassroots effort by getting as many people to vote in elections as possible.  “As representatives of this coalition, we will not be speaking to the politicians about anything but school choice,” said one of the askanim involved. “If we build this voting bloc, it can produce great results.”  In Lakewood, a public school student costs the local district $29,298. The monies being requested in tuition assistance for private school students is far less, which is one of the arguments made by community representatives to elected officials. As mentioned, other states, including Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania, have various forms of school choice, some to the tune of $8-13,000 per child in […]

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