I do not think that tis is a problem that is correctable with the school system.
Yes, cutbacks are needed, and trimming pennies saves dollars. However, if I understand correctly, the financial problems run deeper than that.
I previously suggested that this is a problem for the Hareidi community at large; they need to determine their priorities. If a limited amount of money is available, people must think about where they wish to allocate. In one of the rplies, I was told “2 Jews, 3 opinions”–i.e. that it’s not gonna happen. I tend to agee with that poster—but that leads me to my next question: why not?
The thing that distinguishes the Hareidi world from, say, Modern Orthodoxy, is the idea of “Daas Torah”–the willingness to obey the Gdolim on each and every question.
In that case, why do these Gdolim not lead? why do they not say that elemetary education is more important than kollel–(or vice versa, if that is their opinion)? why do they not offer their counsel on how to solve the crisis in their own community?
We hear many voices from the Hareidi leadership giving advice to other portions of the Jewish community; whether it is about chilonim driving on Shabbat (assur–big surprise there) girls serving in the IDF (please see above). People in these other communities are hardly likely to pasken (in cas of MO) or listen (in case of chilonim) to Hareidi Rabbannim with different hashkafot from their own. Yet the Hareidi Rabbanim continue to issue proclamations about the lifestyles of other communities.
Why do they not address these crises in their own communities? I am not posting this to be critical of the Hareidi Rabbanim–I am seriously wondering why thye do nto address this and other issues, before their system collapses. People are in such financial trouble that they are faced with the choice of religious schools for their children versus other critical Jewish values. And let’s face it–the closing of a Bet Yaakov will not affect anyone in the MO or chiloni world–we do not send our children there. (However, our hearts go out to our Hareidi brothers and sisters who are faced with these difficult problems.) This affects the Hareidi world. One thing that the Hareidi world has is leadership. In my opinion, leadership comes from above-but I have not seen anything at all in this case.
I understand the difficulties here. Nobody wants to cut back on any educational services. However, the system is stressed to its breaking point, and should be fixed, however painfully, before it collapses completely.