In December and January 2025, Teach Coalition surveyed its member schools to compare security spending in the 2025-2026 school year to their security spending three years prior, in 2022-2023. Our goal was to assess the impact of the October 7, 2023 attack against Israel on security spending in Jewish schools – and update an earlier similar study completed in 2025.
Based on responses from 63 schools enrolling 10% of all Jewish students in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, we conclude that:
- For the 22-23 School Year –
- The average respondent spent $179,467 annually ($474/pupil) on security.
- Security spending comprised an average of 81% of respondents’ annual budget.
- 48% of students were charged a security fee in addition to tuition.
- For the 25-26 School Year –
- The average respondent spent $401,432 annually ($1,010/pupil) on security.
- That’s an increase of $221,069 per school ($536/pupil), or a 124% increase in average security spending among respondents.
- Security now comprises an average of 35% of respondents’ annual budget.
- The average respondent’s security costs increased at 6x the rate of non-security expenses.
- 59% of students were charged a security fee in addition to tuition.
- The average respondent spent $401,432 annually ($1,010/pupil) on security.
- Other Insights:
- Security guards comprise 63% of security spending by the average respondent.
- Larger schools generally spend more on security, but smaller schools spend more per pupil and saw the sharpest increase in security costs.
With the average Jewish school now spending $401,432 annually – 3.35% of their budget – to meet the basic need for security, these findings underscore the pressing need for increased government security funding.
Read the full report here: https://teachcoalition.org/content/uploads/sites/9/2026/03/Jewish-School-Security-Spending-Report-March-2026.pdf