Why support Kedma?

Although Kedma School is a public school, we vitally depend on financial contributions for several reasons:

• Promoting equality in education nation-wide. Kedma Association supports not only Kedma school, but also promotes equality in education via our Bridge to University and Equality in Education programs; Promotes public discourse on equality in education; hosts visits of educators, policy makers and students who are interests in learning of the Kedma model and provides instruction to educational institutions that serve disadvantaged communities.
• Cutbacks in public education funding. Government funding provides for the modest operating costs of the school and only minimum teaching hours, and even these have been scaled down over recent years due to successive budget cuts. This means that the unique programs that embody the school’s pedagogical model (most notably the Mentoring Program and the Learning Center) must be financed through independent sources. Enrichment programs such as the Human Rights program, Arab-Jewish dialogue, or the expanded Jewish Studies program are also funded privately.
• Financial need of our target population. Kedma serves the poorest population in Jerusalem among the Jewish community, rated ‘9’ on a 10-point scale of socioeconomic need (by comparison, the next-neediest school in Jerusalem has a socioeconomic rating of ‘5’). Most Israeli public high schools charge parents thousands of shekels a year in tuition and ‘special fees’ to maintain high quality programs in the face of budget cuts. By contrast, the Kedma School charges a nominal tuition fee of 500 shekels a year (about $140), and many families receive full or partial tuition to cover even this cost. Kedma also offers special scholarships for students who cannot afford basic school supplies and books, as well as for essential items such as shoes and clothing. Finally, the financial situation of our school population means that the school is the primary source of cultural enrichment for students (theater, concerts, museums, and other outings) -- again, programs which are necessarily funded by the school and outside sources. 
• Minimal operating costs. Kedma maintains the lowest possible operating costs, so that contributions will maximally go to our students. For example, the Friends Association runs without an office and maintains only one full-time employee (the director, who works from home). When additional help is necessary, employees are hired on a per-project basis in order to keep salary costs at a minimum.