More than 143,000 students were enrolled in private Jewish schools last year in the State of New York grades full K through 12. The students were enrolled in 405 institutions throughout sixteen counties.

The data was compiled by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) from belated stats made available by the New York State Education Department.

The counties with the most students in Jewish schools grades K through 12 were:

80,132 in Brooklyn; up from 78,759 a year earlier;

23,618 in Rockland; up from 22,047;

10,997 in Orange; up from 10,396;

10,503 in Queens; up from 10,213;

7,592 in Nassau; up from 7,188;

4,360 in Manhattan; down from 4,408.

 

Year over year, enrollment rose 4.4% statewide

Rockland rose 7.1%;

Nassau rose 5.6%;

Orange rose 5.5%;

Queens rose 2.9%;

Brooklyn rose 1.75%, and

Manhattan was down one percent.

 

Going back two years (2012-2013 vs. 2014-2015), the percentage rise was

7.9% statewide;

16% (sixteen) in Rockland;

8.8% in Orange

7.9% in Nassau;

7.5% in Queens;

5.8% in Brooklyn, and

1.8% in Manhattan.

 

Overall, 405,527 students were enrolled in nonpublic schools across New York last year; down from 432,771 a decade earlier. In the same time however, enrollment in private Jewish schools rose from 106,645 in 2005-2006 to 143,156 last year; an increase of 34.2%.

By county over the last ten years,

Orange rocketed 67.1% (from 6,581 to 10,997);

Rockland jumped 59.5% (from 14,805 to 23,618);

Brooklyn rose 30.3% (from 61,503 to 80,132);

Queens increased 29.8% (from 8,093 to 10,503);

Nassau expanded by 13.7% (from 6,681 to 7,592);

Manhattan has not changed much (from 4,230 to 4,360), and

Westchester dropped 12.4% (from 1,897 to 1,661).

 

The 143,156 students in Jewish schools receive, on average, well below $1,500 in tax-funded services a year; compared to more than $19,500 per each public school student. This gap of more than $18,000 per student saved taxpayers at least $2.57 billion in education funding last year. The private Jewish community also directly funds the public school system. For example, private Jewish schools in the East Ramapo Central School District in Rockland receive less than $30 million in taxpayer funding, but properties owned by members of the Orthodox Jewish community pour more than fifty million annually into the school district’s coffers.

 

The school enrollment data suggest that Rockland has overtaken Orange as the county with the fastest growing Orthodox Jewish community in New York. Indeed, five neighborhoods populated by a majority Orthodox Jews account for 75% the residential real estate activity in Rockland according to a recent news report.