The Consortium of Chabad Schools for Federal Title Goods and Services
Private and parochial schools are prohibited from directly receiving government funding. In the 1960's the Johnson Administration decided that while funding is disallowed, goods and services may be provided for private school children. From this, the Federal Title programs were established. Funding was provided through local boards of education. Schools were able to receive goods and services under conditions varying from state to state. For decades Jewish schools, as well as other private schools, have been able to receive goods and services in one way or another.
What is less well understood is the formula by which schools allocations are determined. Various agencies in many major metropolitan areas have appointed themselves as the representatives to the Jewish day schools in their area. They have been acting as third party providers and thus are able to collect the Title funds. They, in turn, provided services to the Jewish schools in their area. In areas with smaller Jewish populations, schools have been receiving their entitlements through the local school boards directly.
As time passed it has become increasingly clear that Jewish day schools have not been receiving the kind of services to which they are entitled. Nor have they been receiving their proper allocation of the funding available to them through Governmental programs.
Mr. Beinish (Bryan) Kaplan, of Los Angeles, has been working tirelessly with Jewish schools in Los Angeles. He has effectively compelled the school board to fully allocate the funding to which the schools are entitled. The Merkos Chinuch Office became aware of Mr. Kaplan’s incredible success and asked him to undertake the advocacy of Chabad schools nationwide. Indeed over the last 12 months or so Chabad schools in a number of metropolitan areas have made tremendous inroads with local boards of education which, we expect, will result in millions of dollars of goods and services to be given to Chabad schools (and other day schools) annually.
What started as a challenge to the status quo regarding federal funding has now blossomed into a veritable movement and the creation of The Consortium of Chabad Schools for Federal Title Goods and Services.
Some of the services you are entitled to include;
-Math and English TBA teachers for students at risk
-Inclusion and services for ALL in the ESL portion of the Title 1 program
-ESL teachers on a TBA schedule
-Professional Development for faculty and staff, as indicated in Title 1
-Educational technology and equipment
At the last summer Kinusim, in response to Mr. Kaplan’s presentations on federal Title programs, Menahalim and Menahalos of Florida Chabad schools asked to be brought into the loop. Mr. Kaplan has visited various cities and has been meeting with Chabad (and other) day schools boards and has successfully negotiated hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods and services for Chabad schools.