New York state senators have announced their intent to double the amount in next year’s budget allocated for the Nonpublic School Safety Equipment (NPSE) grant program, raising funds available for security enhancements at religious schools from $45 million to $90 million for the 2024-25 academic year.
NPSE provides funding for nonpublic schools, which account for 15% of the state’s students, to increase security needs at a rate of $100 per child.
“With threats and hate crimes at our religious institutions on the rise, we must do more to keep children safe and secure as they learn,” said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris.
“We applaud Deputy Leader Gianaris, along with the entire Senate body, for taking swift action to help secure our communities amidst this disturbing rise in hate crimes,” Maury Litwack, founder of Teach Coalition—a nonpartisan grassroots movement devoted to advocating for equitable funding for nonpublic schools—told JNS.
“The gravity of the current situation has left an emotional and financial toll on all our communities,” he said, “and this proposed additional funding would make a big difference in easing these burdens.”
