Bais Shifra Miriam, a well-known girls’ school in Monsey that has been serving the community for over 40 years, announced Sunday evening that it will not open its doors on Monday morning due to a financial crisis, leaving hundreds of students and parents in limbo.
Sources tell Monsey Scoop that the closure follows a strike by the school’s teachers, further complicating efforts to keep the institution running. The school, which educates approximately 300 students, has faced mounting financial difficulties in recent years.
Notably, in an effort to avoid regulatory issues with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the school stopped accepting any state funding in recent years. This decision was made as many yeshivas and Jewish schools have faced increasing pressure from NYS regarding curriculum requirements and oversight, sparking ongoing debates about religious education and parental rights. While the move helped the school maintain its autonomy in chinuch, it also significantly impacted its financial stability.
In response, parents and local askonim are actively working to take over the school and stabilize its operations. Their goal is to resolve the financial crisis and reopen as soon as possible, with hopes of resuming classes in the coming days.
This is a developing story.
I wonder how many months teachers had to not be receiving their salaries before they decided that a drastic measure like this was necessary.