In addition to themillions of dollars it has received, apparently illegally, through Island Child, Bnos Bais Yaakov has requested almost $1.2 million from the E-rate program for 2013 – the same program that appears to have given haredi schools that eschew the Internet and that forbid their students and students' families from having Internet access, even though the money doled out to these haredi schools was mostly earmarked for Internet access.
Julie Weiner of The Jewish Week reports:
…In addition to the [apparently illegal] money it has received through Island Child, Bnos Bais Yaakov has requested almost $1.2 million from the E-rate program for 2013.
A recent Jewish Week investigation of E-rate, a federal program that reimburses schools for a portion of their telecommunications and technology expenses, found that fervently Orthodox Jewish schools in New York State disproportionately benefit from its funding, even though most do not allow their students access to the Internet.
Bnos Bais Yaakov’s 2013 E-rate application claims that at least 75 percent of its students are eligible for free or reduced lunches, qualifying it for a 90 percent discount on various tech purchases. E-rate funding decisions for 2013 have not yet been completed; so far, no funding has been approved yet for Bnos Bais Yaakov this year, although the school has received about $100,000 since the E-rate program launched in 1998.
Related Posts:
Massive Haredi-Run Special Ed Fraud Allegedly Steals Millions From NY State.