LGA Announces Significant Tuition Reduction

Posted on January 6, 2015

“LANDER-GRINSPOON ACADEMY ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT TUITION REDUCTION MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH INCREASED SUPPORT FROM THE HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION.”

JANUARY 13, 2015 – Northampton MA: Lander-Grinspoon Academy (LGA)

In a move marking its continued commitment to supporting Jewish life in the Pioneer Valley, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation announced to the Board of Lander- Grinspoon Academy that it will be increasing the amount of its Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) from $2,500 per student per year, to $4,000 per year effective for the 2015-2016 academic year. This significant gesture from the Foundation will reduce the school’s tuition to under $9,000, making it the least expensive private independent k-6 school in the area.

The increase in support, made in response to an ongoing dialogue between the Foundation and LGA, recognizes that the incentive program needed to be modified in order for it to continue to serve its intended purpose. “The Trustees of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation believe in the value of a Jewish day school education, and this increase in the Tuition Incentive Program expresses that support in an unqualified way”, said Mark Gold of the Grinspoon Foundation.

Originally, when TIP was conceived it covered almost 40% of the school’s tuition. “The Board felt that increasing TIP was essential, because as tuition has increased each year, the TIP amount did not”, said Lou Davis, Board Chair. Before the increase, the TIP award had come to represent only 14% of LGA’s tuition; it has now been adjusted to where it had been when initially put into place, close to 40%.

After 18 years in operation, Lander-Grinspoon Academy, whose mission is to provide a rich, academically rigorous, and values-based education integrating general and Jewish studies in a nurturing environment, is well established in the community. Now that financial support has been dramatically increased, the TIP program is being geared toward furthering the school’s ability to attract families from diverse Jewish backgrounds. “Our families represent the full spectrum of Jews in our community – some are affiliated with local synagogues and for some, LGA is their Jewish home”, said Deborah Bromberg Seltzer, School Principal. “We are optimistic that this news opens up the possibility for more and more Valley families to be able to give their children the special gift of an LGA education,” said Bromberg Seltzer.

LGA is now accepting applications for kindergarten for the 2015 – 2016 school year and lateral transfers from grades 1 – 6 as well.