Meyerland Jewish Schools See Enrollment Increase During COVID-19 Pandemic
At least two of Houston’s Jewish day schools are seeing an increase in enrollments during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a national study: the Shlenker School of Congregation Beth Israel in Meyerland and the Beth Yeshurun ​​Day School.
According to a report from Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, there is a national trend of increasing enrollment in Jewish schools. According to the report, from fall 2019 to fall 2021, Jewish day schools and yeshivas – a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts – reported a net increase in enrollment of 3, 7% across the country. Beth Yeshurun ​​has seen a 55% increase in enrollment over the past four years while the Shlenker School has seen an increase of about 10% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beth Yeshurun ​​and the Shlenker School were the only two Jewish schools in Houston included in the Prizmah study.
For David Abrams, a parent who has two children enrolled in Beth Yeshurun, removing their children from public school and enrolling them in Beth Yeshurun ​​was more than a religious decision – the school’s hands on education and the response to COVID-19 was, in Abrams’ opinion, better than the public school.
“Jewish education is important to us, but we have friends and my kids have friends at school who aren’t Jewish,†Abrams said. “I wanted to try out the public schools and see what it was like and have my kids exposed to other things, but with what we saw happening, I’m definitely keeping my kids at Beth Yeshurun ​​until highest level. “
Dr Michelle Baron, school principal at the Shlenker School, said the pandemic had been a beacon of hope for the day school.
“One hundred percent of public school families who signed up for The Shlenker have come back to enroll and re-enrolled,†Baron said. “I think COVID brought them to our school, but the high quality education and the warmth of the community kept them here.
Prizmah also released a report in August 2021 that examined the reasons parents transferred to Jewish school during the pandemic. By interviewing 114 parents between April and June 2021, nearly half of parents transferred their children to a Jewish day school due to the pandemic and their respected school’s response to it. According to the report, “these families made it clear that their values ​​and priorities had not changed and that day school had not suddenly become much more attractive,†the report read. “The only reason they changed was because the day school was open and offered in-person instruction. “
Other families, according to the research, were already on the verge of moving to a Jewish school, but COVID-19 has sped up the process.
Abrams, who had a child in public school and transferred him to Beth Yeshurun ​​during the pandemic, said the public school’s response to COVID-19 was largely reactionary instead of proactive, which helped him make the decision.
“Since the tests, since staying with the CDC…. Close classes when they need it or close cohorts, â€Abrams said. “With Beth Yeshurun, they think things over, evaluate everything, and make reasonable decisions based on the CDC’s advice on what to do.”
The Prizmah report also said that a third of parents surveyed were concerned that their children did not experience a diversity of cultures and demographics by enrolling in a Jewish school, but were ultimately surprised to find more diversity. provided that.
According to the report, schools of all faiths saw an increase in enrollment, community / non-denominational, conservative, pluralist and Reform schools saw a 4.5% increase in enrollment, while Orthodox and modern Orthodox schools. saw an increase of 2.5%.
“The pandemic has given us an incredible opportunity,†said Baron. “For the past two years, we have welcomed families to the Shlenker School who might not otherwise have considered sending their children to a Jewish school. Our students are fed and supported, our families are proud to be associated with us, and our community is stronger than ever.
According to Baron, 95% of the students at the Shlenker school identify as Jewish.
Cost was a barrier for many families surveyed, according to the report. Many families viewed day school as a serious financial commitment. Tuition fees at Beth Yeshurun ​​range from around $ 7,000 to $ 20,500. The Torah Day School in Houston, which teaches children from infancy through eighth grade, has annual tuition fees ranging from $ 7,400 to $ 16,000. And the Shlenker School has tuition ranging from around $ 7,000 to $ 20,000.
Baron says that in order to maintain and continue to increase enrollment, the Shlenker School plans to do a building assessment to determine their growth needs.