147,173 students grades full day kindergarten through 12th were enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the 2015-2016 school year. This is an increase from the revised figures for the 2014-2015 school year which had 142,362 students enrolled in Jewish schools. The students were spread in 407 institutions throughout sixteen counties and the data includes students that were enrolled in Ungraded Elementary schools.

 

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

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

Brooklyn with 82,588 students; up from 80,132 a year earlier; an increase of 2,456 students.

Rockland with 24,832 students; up from 23,618; an increase of 1,214 students.

Orange with 11,661 students; up from 10,997; an increase of 664 students.

Queens with 10,827 students; up from 10,503; an increase of 324 students.

Nassau with 7,747 students; up from 7,299; an increase of 448 students.

Manhattan with 4,419 students; up from 4,360; an increase of 59 students.

 

Compared to the 2014-2015 school year, enrollment in Jewish schools rose 3.38% statewide. By county,

Nassau rose 6.15%;

Orange rose 6.05%;

Rockland rose 5.15%;

Queens rose 3.1%;

Brooklyn rose 3.0%, and

Manhattan rose 1.35%.

 

Going back three years (from after 2012-2013 vs. 2015-2016), the change in Jewish schools is

10.65% statewide; an increase of 14,164 students

21.9% in Rockland; an increase of 4,457 students

15.35%% in Orange; an increase of 1,553 students

10.5% in Queens; an increase of 1,030 students

10.0% in Nassau; an increase of 704 students

8.68% in Brooklyn, an increase of 6,600 students, and

1.85% in Manhattan; an increase of 68 students.

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Overall, 403,844 students were enrolled in nonpublic schools in New York State in the 2015-2016 school year; a very slight decrease from the 405,527 students a year ago, but a 7.72% drop from the 437,616 in the 2005-2006 school year. Meanwhile, enrollment in private Jewish schools rose from 107,118 students in the 2005-2006 school year to 147,173 last year; an increase of 37.4% or 40,055 students.

 

Changes by county over the last ten years was

83.4% or 5,303 added students in Orange

67.2% or 9,983 added students in Rockland

33.6% or 20,764 added students in Brooklyn

33.3% or 2,705 added students in Queens

15.7% or 1,056 added students in Nassau

2.8% or 120 added students in Manhattan

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A decade ago, enrollment in Jewish schools represented 24.4% of all nonpublic school enrollment in New York state. In the 2015-2016 school year it was 36.4%.

 

Each of the 147,173 students enrolled in Jewish schools receive, on average, less than $1,500 in tax-funded services a year, compared to more than $20,000 invested by taxpayers in every public-school student. The gap of more than $18,500 per student saved taxpayers at least $2.72 billion in education funding last school year. This $2.72 billion savings is the equivalent of covering Medicaid for 906,666 of the 1.43 million New York public school students who live in economically disadvantaged households.

In addition to saving money for taxpayers, the Jewish school community also directly funds the public-school system. For example, private Jewish schools in the East Ramapo Central School District in Rockland County receive less than $32 million in taxpayer funding a year, but properties owned by members of the Orthodox Jewish community pour more than $52 million annually into the school district’s coffers.