Suspend the Abrupt 27% Tuition and Fees at ISRI

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all business , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll . My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

ISRI Principal Dr. Ahmed thinks that the Muslim community of Rhode Island is incapable of doing simple math. He is claiming that a jump from $5300 to $6760 is only a 9 percent increase. It's actually about 27.5 percent. See Dr. Ahmed's out of touch response to the ISRI PTO below and call for Dr. Ahmed's resignation. Email Below Walaikum Assalam Parents, Thanks for contacting the school leadership regarding the well needed and long-awaited adjustment we made in the 2020-21 tuition structure. As always, our commitment at ISRI is to promote our students’ academic and non-academic needs in the best possible manners and in return, we expect from parents to support school initiatives through their understanding and tangible actions, Insha’Allah. To be accurate, we would like to inform our parents that we took the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic into consideration when we decided to increase the tuition for the 2020-21 school year and that is only about 9% from KG to 8th grade. We didn’t increase any other fees rather we asked parents to fulfil their intrinsic obligations towards ISRI – Your Own School – and to pay legitimate fees/dues which are considered normal and standard charges and are to be paid by parents in all K-12 schools but at Islamic School of Rhode Island. We believe it is an appropriate time to show your commitment with ISRI through sincere actions. We must remember that organizations always firmly stand with stakeholders (parents and students) who believe in organization development in difficult times like the one we are going through. We have allocated a big chunk of money in our school budget to provide financial assistance to our deserving parents in these difficult times. I am willing to meet with our parent community to justify our decision to minimize the increase in 2020-21 tuition fees ONLY AT 9% and we expect other normal, standard and legitimate dues to be paid. Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed, PhD Principal/CEO

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all business , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll . My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all business , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll . My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all businesses , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll. My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

ISRI Principal Dr. Ahmed thinks that the Muslim community of Rhode Island is incapable of doing simple math. He is claiming that a jump from $5300 to $6760 is only a 9 percent increase. It's actually about 27.5 percent. See Dr. Ahmed's out of touch response to the ISRI PTO below and call for Dr. Ahmed's resignation. Walaikum Assalam Parents, Thanks for contacting the school leadership regarding the well needed and long-awaited adjustment we made in the 2020-21 tuition structure. As always, our commitment at ISRI is to promote our students’ academic and non-academic needs in the best possible manners and in return, we expect from parents to support school initiatives through their understanding and tangible actions, Insha’Allah. To be accurate, we would like to inform our parents that we took the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic into consideration when we decided to increase the tuition for the 2020-21 school year and that is only about 9% from KG to 8th grade. We didn’t increase any other fees rather we asked parents to fulfil their intrinsic obligations towards ISRI – Your Own School – and to pay legitimate fees/dues which are considered normal and standard charges and are to be paid by parents in all K-12 schools but at Islamic School of Rhode Island. We believe it is an appropriate time to show your commitment with ISRI through sincere actions. We must remember that organizations always firmly stand with stakeholders (parents and students) who believe in organization development in difficult times like the one we are going through. We have allocated a big chunk of money in our school budget to provide financial assistance to our deserving parents in these difficult times. I am willing to meet with our parent community to justify our decision to minimize the increase in 2020-21 tuition fees ONLY AT 9% and we expect other normal, standard and legitimate dues to be paid. Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed, PhD Principal/CEO Islamic School

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all businesses , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll. My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

This is an outrageous increase that is very difficult to justify especially when the Federal government, during this economic crisis, is offering all business , including non-profits such as ISRI, a forgivable loan for 2.5 time the average monthly payroll . My question to ISRI is, have you applied and taken advantage of this free money? This loan will be eligible for “forgiveness,” essentially turning into grants if the money is used for the purposes of paying salaries and utilities. I hope you have already taken advantage of this program. Please be more thoughtful and caring with parents and your community. This outrageous increase is mean spirited, and badly timed. Please suspend it ASAP. May Allah bless and protect everyone.

I’m absolutely disagree with the increase Specially on this timing as we parents we thinking about our kids to go back to school on September not about the tuition manner and I would like the board to be concerned about how to keep the students and get more people in , to grow our community I have my two kids in the school since 7 years and every year seen student decrease We love the school and we feel like it’s our home Thank you everyone

This doesn't make any sense, you should reconsider.

Come on.

This is unbelievable. This school is home for my children. I fear this will no longer be the case. If nothing changes I am considering contacting media outlets to shed some light for this injustice during covid19.

Timing is the most important thing in any procedure to get the wanted results, but choosing this time to do this shows a lack if knowledge and will destroy the school. Everyone is struggling the during the pandemic thousand of people lost their jobs, think wisely and remember the prophet Muhammad, (Peace Be Upon Him) Said,"Make things easy and do not make them difficult,cheer the people up by conveying glad tidings to them and do not repulse (them)." -Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

How else can we help the school without impacting the parents who are likely also struggling during this difficult time?

(Edited Comment) This increase will not get any support from anyone because it is not reasonable nor does it make any sense. The school is paying less for bills during this Pandemic. There should be a decrease in tuition not increase. 40 Million Americans lost their jobs. Raising tuition is irresponsible and shortsighted. It will backfire. As a previous parent and teacher of ISRI, I ask the board to abandon this nonsense.

This increase will not get any support from anyone because it is not reasonable nor does it make any sense. The school is paying less for bills during this Pandemic. There should be a decrease in tuition not increase. 40,000 Americans lost there jobs. Raising tuition is irresponsible and shortsighted. It will backfire. As a previous parent and teacher of ISRI, I ask the board to abandon this nonsense.

Not a good idea right now

Wrong time wrong decision.

Really it s not the ideal time to make such as decision.I didn t expect that it can be approuved so easily without even considering the struggling financial situation that we all pass through, especially that we didn t notice any improvement during the online courses, instead of doing some facilities you are increasing the cost. it's disappointing.

I understand to keep up with today inflation school need money to make teachers to stay and better education, but in this time its not good idea to increase fees.