FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NY Legislature’s One-House Budget Proposals Include Record Investments in Nonpublic School Programs
Teach NYS applauds historic funding as advocates arrive in Albany to push for final budget
Albany, NY — The New York State Senate and Assembly’s One-House budget proposals released today include record investments in nonpublic school security and expanded funding for STEM and arts and music programs serving hundreds of thousands of students across the state.
The proposals include $90 million for the Nonpublic School Safety Equipment (NPSE) program, maintaining Governor Hochul’s historic investment as schools face rapidly rising security costs amid increasing faith based hate crimes.
Additional investments in the Senate proposal include:
- $100 million for STEM programs, up from $85.5 million, expanding the nation’s first program that funds STEM teachers in nonpublic schools. A twentyfold increase in funding since the program started in 2017.
- $6 million for arts and music programs, up from $5 million, building on a first-in-the-nation initiative bringing new resources to classrooms across New York.
Teach NYS, a project of the Orthodox Union, applauded lawmakers for prioritizing student safety and educational opportunity while urging that the funding remain in the final state budget.
“The record funding for nonpublic schools in today’s One-House proposals is an investment in the education and safety of thousands of students in NY. That does not happen without extraordinary commitment from New York’s lawmakers and a remarkable effort from our community,” said Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition. “Our advocates are in Albany this week to make sure these historic investments cross the finish line and reach every school that needs it.”
The proposed $100 million investment in the STEM program marks a historic milestone for the initiative, which launched in 2017 with just $5 million and has since transformed access to science and technology education in nonpublic schools across New York.
For Lance Hirt, Chairman of the Board of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, reaching the $100 million is a landmark moment.
“The impact is felt directly in the classroom,” he said. “We’ve seen a real jump in our students’ STEM skills, but more importantly, it builds their confidence. When they succeed in these subjects, it raises the bar for what they believe they can achieve academically.”
Hirt also welcomed the million dollar arts and music funding increase.
“Creative thinking is one the most important skills students can develop, these programs help build the confidence and creativity students need to succeed.”
For nonpublic schools, the threat of rising hate crimes has translated directly into costs. A new Teach Coalition report finds that the average Jewish school now spends more than $400,000 annually on security, more than double pre-Oct 7 levels. Seventy-eight percent of families are either paying a dedicated security fee or absorbing the cost through higher tuition.
For more than a decade, Teach NYS has worked to ensure New York’s nonpublic schools receive critical government support for services including special education support, classroom technology, and school security, while pioneering the nation’s first program to fund STEM and arts teachers in nonpublic schools.
This week, Teach NYS advocates, including parents, students, school administrators, and community leaders from across New York, are in Albany meeting with legislators and urging them to preserve the record funding as the budget moves through the legislative process.
To learn more about Teach Coalition’s work in New York contact Shaked Mizrachi at Shaked@MorMediaGroup.com.
About Teach NYS
Teach NYS, a member of Teach Coalition and an initiative of the Orthodox Union, advocates for government policies that support Jewish day schools and yeshivas across New York. Through policy advocacy, research, and grassroots engagement, Teach NYS works to expand educational opportunity, strengthen school security, and increase access to critical resources for nonpublic school students and families. Over the past decade, these efforts have helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding for programs including STEM education, arts instruction, special education services, and security funding. Teach NYS represents a broad coalition of parents, schools, and community leaders working to ensure every child has access to a safe, high-quality education.