151,828 students enrolled in New York Jewish schools for the 2017-2018 school year grades Full Day Kindergarten through 12’th. This is an increase from 149,562 students last year; a jump from 133,285 students in the 2012-2013 school year and a steep rise from the 113,387 students ten years ago. Overall, Jewish school enrollment this year was 18,543 more students than five years ago and 38,441 more students from ten years ago. Total nonpublic school enrollment in New York dropped by 10,680 from five years ago and by 30,996 from ten years ago. As a percent, enrollment in Jewish schools rose by 33.9% from ten years ago while overall private school enrollment decreased by almost 7.2%. The data was compiled by the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) from stats made available by the New York State Education Department.

Ten years ago, in the 2007-2008 school year, K-12 enrollment in Jewish schools represented 26.2% of the 431,610 nonpublic school students in New York. Five years ago, it represented 32.4% of the 411,294 nonpublic school students. Last year, the number was 36.7% of the 407,315 nonpublic enrollees, and this year it is almost 37.9% of the 400,614 enrolled students.

The counties with the most K-12 enrollees in Jewish schools this year were:

Brooklyn with 81,350 students; down by 1,184 from 82,534 students last year and is down from 82,481 students two years. Brooklyn enrollment is up less than 4.2% from 78,102 students five years ago and up 25.7% from 64,721 students ten years ago.

Rockland with 27,859 students; up by 1,888 from 25,971 students last year and is up from 24,839 students two years ago. Rockland enrollment is up 36.4% from 20,423 students five years ago and up 74.1% from 15,997 students ten years ago.

Orange with 13,400 students; up by 1,209 from 12,191 students last year and is up from 11,661 students two years ago. Orange enrollment is up 32.5% from 10,108 students five years ago and up 78.1% from 7,523 students ten years ago.

Queens with 11,489 students; up by 190 from 11,299 students last year and is up from 10,939 students two years ago. Queens is up 17.2% from 9,806 students five years ago and up 25.0% from 9,189 students ten years ago.

Nassau with 7,771 students; up by 270 from 7,501 students last year and is down from 7,851 students two years ago. Nassau enrollment is up 9.8% from 7,075 students five years ago and up 19.2% from 6,520 students ten years ago.

Manhattan with 4,441 students; down by 23 from 4,464 students last year and is down from 4,457 students two years ago. Manhattan enrollment is virtually the same to the 4,437 students five year ago and a 2.7% rise from 4,325 students ten years ago.

The shift in student enrollment per county that will grab the most attention is Brooklyn. As noted above, the five year change is a growth of less than 4.2%; just a fraction of the growth seen in Queens, Orange or Rockland and it is less than half the growth in Nassau. The cause of the weak growth in Brooklyn is that young families are leaving in large numbers to some of the above-mentioned counties or to New Jersey. Consider: While enrollment in Brooklyn rose by 3,248 students the last five years, Full Day Kindergarten enrollment dropped by 582 students from five years ago and when adding up K through third grade, enrollment in Brooklyn is up by only 249 students.

Each of the 151,828 students enrolled in Jewish schools across New York receive, on average, less than $1,500 in tax-funded services a year, compared to more than $21,000 invested in every public-school student. The gap of more than $19,500 per student saved taxpayers at least $2.96 billion in education funding this school year. For context, 55% public school students in New York state last year lived in economically disadvantaged households. The above savings can cover Medicaid for 986,882 of those public school students.

The mission of the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) is to counter the defamation and generalization of the Orthodox Jewish community. Our donate page is here.