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March 18, 2005/Adar II 7 5765, Volume 57, No. 29
STO raises nearly $1.3 million for Jewish day school students
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
About 280 Jewish children are currently enrolled in Jewish day school, with assistance from a Jewish student tuition organization (STO).
In 2004, the Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund raised $1,297,000. This was an $87,160 increase from 2003.
The funds came from 2,723 supporters, said Linda Zell, administrator of the fund, a nonprofit organization that serves the Jewish day schools in the Greater Phoenix area.
According to Mark Schwartz, president of the STO, this represents a 6 percent increase in both dollars and donors from 2003.
The money will provide scholarships for children to attend Valley Jewish day schools for the 2005-2006 school year.
The STO was created in 1999 to take advantage of an Arizona tax credit that allows taxpayers to donate up to $625 per year to a qualifying tuition organization in lieu of paying the same amount in state income tax.
Scholarships range from 35 percent to 75 percent of tuition. Annual tuitions range from $7,600-$11,500, Zell said.
The application deadline for scholarships for the 2005-2006 school year is March 18, although late applications may be submitted, Zell said. Interested parents may contact participating Jewish day schools.
The schools will submit paperwork to the STO by April 15, Zell said. An allocations committee comprised of accountants will review applications identified only by number, not names, using tax returns and a formula to determine the percentage of tuition the STO can make available for each applicant.
All information is confidential, Zell said.
By late May, each family will be notified by mail of the amount awarded, and checks disbursed to the school.
The STO serves seven participating schools: Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School, The King David School, Pardes Jewish Day School, Phoenix Hebrew Academy, East Valley Jewish Community Center Day School, Beth El Kindergarten and Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center Kindergarten.
Marketing for the 2005 STO has already started, said Zell. Fliers have been distributed at community events, letters sent with school tuition invoices, and on-screen advertising is underway at local Harkins Theatres.
"We are getting the awareness out," Zell said.
A payment by check or credit card must be made by Dec. 31. Monthly payments may be made throughout 2005, Schwartz said.
To contact Zell, call 480-634-8050, ext. 1302, or e-mail lindaz@bjephoenix.org. Visit www.jewishtaxcredit.org.
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