/—
because they couldn't cut it, but sever-
math, science, foreign languages and
Attrition In High School
al
left because it was too easy," said
English." He added, "You can tell if a
Last year, Akiva graduated 10 stu-
Avi
Newman, a 1997 Akiva graduate
school is college prep by the percent-
dents, half of the 21 who began high
who
is now a sophomore at the
age of kids who get into their first-
school together in ninth grade. The
University of Michigan.
and second-choice colleges."
class of 1997, also 10 students, shrank
One of those students who left the
The principal of Akiva, Rabbi
from a ninth grade of 20.
'98
graduating class in part because he
Karmi Gross, declined to be inter-
This year, 12 students left Akiva
found
Akiva too easy was Charles
viewed about the issues and events
between eighth and ninth grades,
Stuart,
who came to Akiva after grad-
cited in this report. In a meeting with
transferring to public schools, moving
uating from Hillel Day School.
editors of The Jewish News, Gross said
According to Stuart,
he did not see "any construc-
E] much of his freshman
tive purpose" in the article
year was spent repeating
that he said was being pre-
things he had already
pared.
:8- learned at Hillel and
In an earlier interview in
"learning more from text-
September, Gross had said
' books than the class-
that the majority of Akiva
room. "
graduates are accepted into
According to Mary
their first-choice colleges, but
Cumming, a secretary in
he did not provide statistics.
Southfield-Lathrup High
Bassett of ISACS provided
School's counseling office,
some general indicators to tell
three, four or five stu-
when a private school is hav-
dents transfer in from
ing problems: "You know a
Akiva each year, mostly in
school's in trouble if enroll-
the 11th grade.
ment is declining, faculty is
"When they come
bailing out, attrition is high
from Akiva, it's mostly
and they can't raise money."
because they've gone as
By those counts, Akiva's
far as they can in the
high school is troubled.
advanced classes there,"
While other area day
she said. "They're nice
schools have enjoyed steady
kids and they do well
growth, Akiva's overall enroll-
here.
ment dropped this year to
Southfield-Lathrup,
260, down from last year's
unlike Akiva, offers.
296. High school enrollment
advanced placement
has hovered around 60 in
(AP) courses in five aca-
recent years, with about 10
demic disciplines. AP
students graduating each
courses, a staple of most
spring. Approximately 135
college preparatory high
families send their children to
schools, are college-level
Akiva.
courses preparing stu-
Faculty turnover and stu-
dents for an end-of-the
dent attrition are both high in
year exam in that sub-
the high school, and Akiva has
ject. If students attain
faced chronic financial diffi-
The school plans to move to the ormer Beth Achim synagogue.
high scores on the exam,
culties, including a $300,000
they can receive college
budget shortfall in the 1996-
credit or place out of cer-
97 academic year.
tain entry-level college courses.
Still, Akiva has enjoyed substantial
out of town or enrolling as boarders in
Sarah Chopp, now a sophomore at
financial support from the organized
out-of-town yeshivot. In recent years, a
U-M,
was one of five Akiva students
Jewish community in recent years.
number of students have transferred to
to
transfer
to Southfield-Lathrup in
This includes a steadily increasing
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. One student
1994-95,
her
junior year. She left
annual allocation (it receives more per
who left Akiva after his sophomore
Akiva
because
it was a transition year
pupil than any other day school), help
year did a combination of home
in
the
administration
(former head-
during times of financial crisis (on top
schooling and classes at Oakland
master
Rabbi
Zev
Shimansky's
last
of its allocation, Federation gave
Community College.
year
at
Akiva)
and
she
was
worried,
Akiva a $50,000 grant and $50,000
Gross attributes the enrollment dif-
she said, that the school wasn't prepar-
loan in 1996-97) and — most recent-
ficulties to families moving to Israel or
ing her for college.
ly — the gift of the new building.
other cities and students being unable
At Southfield-Lathrup, Chopp and
The building was purchased by the
to handle the rigors of a dual Judaic
the
other girls who had transferred
United Jewish Foundation of
and secular curriculum. But a number
from
Akiva were placed back a year in
Metropolitan Detroit for $2.5 million
of students said they left Akiva
math
even though they had been earn-
and offered to Akiva rent-free, provid-
because they found it not challenging
ing
good
math grades at Akiva, she
ed the school pays for maintenance
enough.
said.
and renovations.
"Some people from my class left
Akiva At A
Glance
Founded:1964
Excerpts from mission
statement: "Akiva is committed
to providing a comprehensive
Jewish and secular education in
a vibrant atmosphere of Torah
values and academic challenge ...
The Akiva graduate will be
invested with the desire to con-
tribute significantly to our soci-
ety as an educated productive
citizen and an erudite Torah
scholar."
Location: A 71-year-old former
elementary school in Lathrup
Village. Akiva plans to renovate
the former Congregation Beth
Achim in Southfield and move
in by this fall.
Number of high school
teachers: 22 last year
High school tuition: $6,000
Total school expenses in
1996-97: $1,944,177
Salary of highest-ranking
employee (Rabbi Karmi Gross)
in 1996-97: $80,283
Average teacher's salary:
Approximately $28,000
Total enrollment: 260, in grades
nursery through high school.
The high school had 64 students
last year.
Number of graduates
last year: 10
Graduates: Most spend a year at
yeshiva in Israel, then attend
four-year universities. The 1997
graduates are currently enrolled
at University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor (3), U-M Dearborn
(1), Wayne State University (3)
Brandeis University (1), Yeshiva
University (1) and Oakland
University (1). One is studying
for a second year in Israel.
Allocation from the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit for 1998-99: $385,700
s a ‘
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Detroit Jewish News
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