SJS
I don’t believe it would be stealing; I suppose when people I don’t where it will come from – I mean, they could see their car, house, whatever. It may be a very good idea, but certainly we have all been in positions when we must obligate and then make it happen. For a surgery or the like. Or you could take out a bank loan. Or whatever.
Defaulting after the appointed time would be a different story. Like Gavra said – often, we just need to make it happen.
It’s sad though. Both sides of the coin are true. Schools gotta pay their teachers. But the fact of religious life is that you need an income in excess of 120k to made ends meet – I mean it that reasonable? That to send your childrent to a Frum school you need to be in the 90th income percentile?
The only people who get me mad are the people who don’t prioritze tuition – over bungalow colonies – or even summer camps – or worst, lexuses.
I hope that vouchers will take off and/or a kehilla fund. It’s a great idea, and I heard it’s taking root in chicago. My sympathies, but ultimately, when it’s between the teachers and the parents – I side with the teachers. They are not obligated to pay anyone elses tuition via getting their measly checks six months late (I look at the breaks that they get as part of their salary for community service).