San Diego Jewish Academy continues tuition affordability program

More families are finding a top Jewish private school education affordable in San Diego thanks to the bold Open Door program, which cuts tuition in half at San Diego Jewish Academy for kindergarten and 9th grade, and maintains that reduction for those students for four years. Because of the high enrollment numbers following the program’s first year, SDJA is able to continue Open Door for 2020/2021 in kindergarten and 9th grade, advancing its vision to eventually offer half price tuition across all grades and removing cost as a barrier for a world-class private school education.

As one new parent to SDJA says, “In all honesty, the Open Door program has completely changed our world...We would not have been able to afford to send our daughter to SDJA, and now seeing what a wonderful school it is we are so grateful.”

Thanks to Open Door, SDJA now has more than 600 students, including three kindergarten classes and more than 50 9th graders. The school was awarded the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award last year and is in the midst of celebrating its 40th anniversary. SDJA continues to grow its offerings through unique initiatives like the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking, which brings cutting edge learning experiences to students, and through the Advanced Institute for Jewish Studies, which offers Jewish learning opportunities to students and parents alike.

“We’re obviously very excited about SDJA’s future and the educational environment we can offer to more families,” says Chaim Heller, Head of San Diego Jewish Academy. “The success of Open Door is more than just numbers. A thriving school with more families means that we can offer different types of learning experiences, more opportunities for student social and emotional growth, and more extracurricular activities. We want to continue to welcome even more families who felt that San Diego Jewish Academy was beyond their reach.”

A donor is funding Open Door for students entering the program in the 20/21 school year, just as they did last year. At the same time, SDJA is looking for additional support in order to continue to expand the tuition reduction to all grades.

“Making a Jewish day school education affordable for more families is a commitment we can all share and be a part of,” adds Heidi Gantwerk, board chair of SDJA. “It’s an inspiring vision to pursue and it’s why we hope that every family fortunate enough to be part of this thriving community gives back to the Open Door program as well.”

SDJA contracted Fisheye Research to learn about the number of families in the area who might consider Jewish Day School at certain price points. According to their data, more than 1,100 Jewish families with children in San Diego would consider SDJA with tuition between $10,000 - $15,000.

“Continuing Open Door for a second year is significant development for the school and really the broader San Diego Jewish community,” adds Heller. “We hope even more people join the SDJA family and help the program continue. Everyone wins with this model.” Visit sdja.com. --News release