REPORT |
A STATISTICAL PROFILE OF NEW
YORK’S K-12 EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
Race, Income, and Religion
Ray Domanico
Senior Fellow and Director, Education Policy
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
About the Author
Ray Domanico is a senior fellow and director of education policy at the Manhattan Institute. His career
has spanned the public and nonprofit sectors, in research and advocacy roles. Most recently, Domanico was
director of education research at New York City’s Independent Budget Office, where he led a team tasked
with studying and reporting on the policies and progress of America’s largest public school system.
Previously, he served as senior education advisor to IAF Metro NY, where he worked with local leaders and
educators to design and support a small group of new district high schools and charter elementary schools.
Domanico began his career in research positions in the New York City school system, and he has taught
graduate-level courses in educational research and policy analysis at Brooklyn College and Baruch College.
Domanico holds an MPP (master of public policy) from the University of California, Berkeley.
2
Contents
Summary and Discussion ..........................................................5
Implications for Public Policy ....................................................6
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K–12 Educational Sector ............7
Endnotes ..............................................................................15
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
4
A STATISTICAL PROFILE OF NEW
YORK’S K-12 EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
Race, Income, and Religion
Summary and Discussion
Public controversies about education in New York typically leave out discussion about the private—religious and
independent—schools that educate nearly 20% of students in New York City and more than 10% of students in the rest of
the state. This report uses publicly available data from the New York State Education Department1 and the . Census
Bureau2 to describe the importance of these schools to the overall educational enterprise of the city and state. Four themes
emerge from the data presented in this brief:
Demographic change. There are 300,000 fewer students in New York State today than there were in the school year 2000–01,
with the decline being much greater outside New York City. Further disaggregation of the data, not shown here, indicates
than the percentage enrollment decline in the four counties closest to New York City is only slightly higher than the
decline in the city, but the decline upstate is much greater than the city’s or its suburbs. Racial and ethnic change is
evident in this decline. Statewide, there were 482,000 fewer white students than there were in 2000–01. The number of
black students has declined by 175,000. These declines were partial- ly offset by increases in the number of Hispanic
(179,589) and Asian (88,792) students.
Statewide, private schools have experienced a 16% decline in enrollment since 2000–01; the decline has been less within
the city (12%) than outside the city (21%). Statewide, enrollment in Catholic schools has declined by 49% while
enrollment in Jewish schools is up by %. Independent schools (Dalton, Brearley, Horace Mann, etc.) have grown by
%. Jewish schools are now the largest group of private schools in the state and educate more students than do charter
schools.
New York City is more diverse than its public schools. The city’s public schools are largely (%) nonwhite. But 171,791
WHITE students, 52% of all white students in the city, attend private schools. Black families are the group second most
likely to seek schools outside the public district schools; % of the city’s black stu- dents are in public charter
schools, and % are in private schools. Public district schools outside the city have become much more diverse
since 2000–01: 38% of students are nonwhite, compared with % in 2000–01. Though white students are in the
majority in private schools, these schools also serve a diverse group of students. In the city, one-third of all private
school students are nonwhite; outside the city, that figure is 24%.
Private schools defy generalization. New York City has much higher enrollment in private schools than the rest of the
state. The census estimates that % of the city’s schoolchildren attend private schools, compared with %
of the students in the rest of the state. In the city, private schools serve both wealthy and lower-income
communities. In city census tracts with a median family income of $250,000 and above, % of all students are
enrolled in private schools, though a very small percentage of the school-age population lives in such wealthy
census tracts. Of the private school students in the city, % reside in census tracts where median family
income is below $100,000. In these census tracts combined, % of students are enrolled in private schools.
There are a small number of modest- to lower-income districts
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
outside the city with high private school enrollment;
these tend to be home to large concentrations of or-
thodox Jewish families and the Jewish schools that
serve them.
Not all public schools serve heterogeneous
populations. Outside New York City, wealthy
enclaves have emerged over time, largely in the
surrounding suburbs, particularly in Nassau and
Westchester Counties. Of the school districts in the rest
of the state with a median family income of
$150,000 and above, % of students are enrolled in local
public district schools. These wealthy suburban school
districts are somewhat homogeneous with respect to
family income—in districts with median incomes
above $250,000, % of all families have incomes
below $100,000. In districts with median incomes of
$200,000–$249,999, % of all families fall
below the $100,000 level. High-income districts outside
the city are also homogeneous with regard to
education and race. In the highest- income school
districts, % of the adults, age 25 and older, have
bachelor’s degrees or higher; in the poorest districts,
% do so. The highest-income districts are %
white and 11% Asian; % of residents are black
or Hispanic. In the lowest- earning school districts,
% are white, % are Asian, and % are black
or Hispanic.
Implications for
Public Policy
Whether provided by the public or private sector,
schooling gives benefits to students and parents as well as to
the broader society. The reliance of American
democracy on a well-educated citizenry is well under-
stood. Private schools provide this benefit as much as
public schools do.
Most families understand that the higher the general
educational attainment of their children, the more
prosperous, healthier, and successful they are likely to be.
Thus, families have a direct incentive to find the best
education for their own children so that they may reap the
benefits themselves. This is true for families that enroll
their children in the best public-school districts as well as
for families that seek private or religious schools for
their children. For families with the means, there are two
common paths to school quality in and near New York
City. Wealthy city families can avail themselves of the
city’s more exclusive private schools, at a high cost of
tuition. Wealthy suburban families can effectively buy in
to a quality public education by purchasing homes in
affluent communities with high- performing public schools.
The availability of alternatives to New York City’s
public school system serves as a natural check on the
ability of that system to seek redistributive
outcomes, such as the elimination of selective high
schools or gifted programs in pursuit of greater racial
diversity. Similarly, official hostility to high-achieving
public charter schools might drive parents of color to
private or suburban schools in pursuit of greater
educational opportunity. The growth of charter
schools has largely been fueled by the choices of such
parents seeking high-performing schools. If parents of
any background come to believe that the system is
working against the well-being of their own children,
those with the means have viable alternatives, both
inside and outside the city.
Religious schools exist on a different dimension from
exclusive private schools. Here, parents seek education for
their children grounded in their own culture and faith
traditions. Religious schools are often tradition- bound and
resistant to the rapidly changing social and educational
norms that some perceive in public schools. This was true of
Catholic schools in their heyday, and it is true of
orthodox Jewish schools today. Ongoing debate about
the appropriateness of public funding of religious
schools, or tuition tax credits for religious school
scholarships, will likely focus on the different approaches
to family values and educational content.
Public Charter
Schools–
NYC
Private
Schools–
NYC
Public Charter Public District
Schools– Schools–
Outside NYC NYC
Private
Schools–
Outside NYC
Public District
Schools–
Outside NYC
28,460 185,916
0
118,997
256,678
600,000
400,000
200,000
948,047
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
1,558,235
1,400,000
New York State Student Enrollment, Grades PK–12, by Sector and Location, 2018–19
1,600,000
88%
10%District
2%
School Sector Enrollment in New York State
Outside NYC, 2018–19
Charter
Private
School Sector Enrollment in
New York City, 2018–19
Charter
Private
9%
District
19%
72%
A Statistical Proftle of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector
Three times as many students were enrolled in private (religious and independent) schools (442,594) in New York State
than in public charter schools (147,457):
Families in New York City are more likely to seek alternatives to the district’s traditional public schools, with more
than a quarter of students in private or public charter schools. Outside the city, almost 88% of students attend traditional
public district schools:
School Enrollment by Sector, New York State and New York City, 2001–19
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Students by Location and Sector, 2018–19
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
The number of students attending public district schools as well as private schools has declined in New York State since
2000–01. Charter school enrollment has grown dramatically. Enrollment declines in district schools have been steeper
outside New York City during this period:
School Year
District
Schools:
NYC
District
Schools:
Outside NYC
Charter
Schools:
NYC
Charter
Schools:
Outside NYC
Private
Schools:
NYC
Private
Schools:
Outside NYC
State
Total: All
Sectors
2000–01 1,066,516 1,792,614 1,821 2,528 291,723 235,398 3,390,600
2003–04 1,044,472 1,799,168 5,849 8,770 284,894 224,925 3,368,078
2006–07 999,150 1,767,825 15,639 11,512 276,710 207,537 3,278,373
2009–10 991,312 1,710,688 32,048 14,474 268,011 197,411 3,213,944
2012–13 985,388 1,641,891 58,493 19,463 267,938 193,877 3,167,050
2015–16 980,197 1,592,863 94,334 23,285 265,997 193,295 3,149,971
2018–19 948,047 1,558,235 118,997 28,460 256,678 185,916 3,096,333
Change 2001–2019 (118,469) (234,379) 117,176 25,932 (35,045) (49,482) (294,267)
Percent Change % % % % % % %
Private schools in New York serve a different population than do public district and charter schools. Two-thirds of the
students in New York City’s private schools are white; outside the city, more than three-quarters of private school students
are white:
Location/Sector White Hispanic Black Asian Other
Public District Schools % % % % %
Private Schools % % % % %New York City
Public Charter Schools % % % % %
Public District Schools % % % % %
Private Schools % % % % %
Rest of
New York
State Public Charter Schools % % % % %
State Total—All Sectors % % % % %
More than half the white students in New York City attend private schools and most of the remainder, %, attend
district schools. Outside the city, % of white students are enrolled in district schools. Black families are the group
second most likely to seek placements other than in the city’s district schools. Outside the city,
Change in Enrollment 2000–01 to 2018–19, by Race and Location
Private
Other– Other–
NYC Rest of
State
White– White–
NYC Rest of
State
Hispanic–
Rest of
State
Charter
Hispanic–
NYC
Black–
Rest of
State
District
Black–
NYC
Asian–
Rest of
State
Asian–
NYC
%
%
%
%%%%
%%%
%
%
%
%%
%%
%
%
%%
%%%%
%
%
%
%
%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0%
School Enrollment by Sector, Race, and Location, 2018–19
% of black students are in district schools. Asian families are the most “loyal” to district schools in the city and in the
rest of the state:
The racial makeup of New York schools has changed since 2001. Statewide, in all sectors combined, the number of white
students is down by more than 25%. The number of black students has declined even more dramatically. The loss of white
students has occurred almost exclusively outside New York City; white enrollment in New York City is up modestly. Black
enrollment has declined in both the city (%) and outside the city (%). Asian and Hispanic enrollment is growing
across the state, dramatically so in the areas outside New York City:
All Sectors Combined Asian Black Hispanic White Total
New York City, 2000–01 140,451 431,344 455,321 329,221 1,360,060
New York City, 2018–19 188,163 298,938 466,895 329,746 1,323,722
Change 47,712 (132,406) 11,574 525 (36,338)
% % % % %
Outside NYC, 2000–01 54,880 232,574 139,963 1,595,390 2,030,540
Outside NYC, 2018–19 95,960 189,686 307,978 1,112,307 1,772,611
Change 41,080 (42,888) 168,015 (483,083) (257,929)
% % % % %
State Total, 2000–01 195,331 663,917 595,284 1,924,611 3,390,600
State Total, 2018–19 284,123 488,624 774,873 1,442,000 3,096,333
Change 88,792 (175,293) 179,589 (482,611) (294,267)
% % % % %
Change in Enrollment, 2001–19, by Race, Location, and Sector
School Enrollment in New York City by Family Income and Census Tract
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
Change 2001-19 Asian Black Hispanic White Total
Public District Schools 45,534 (160,527) (15,490) (10,054) (118,469)
Public Charter Schools 3,181 60,251 45,958 5,070 117,176New York City
Private Schools (1,003) (32,130) (18,894) 5,509 (35,045)
Public District Schools 38,106 (48,155) 160,036 (434,734) (234,379)
Public Charter Schools 831 14,500 6,042 3,473 25,932
Outside
New York
City Private Schools 2,143 (9,233) 1,937 (51,822) (49,482)
State Total 88,792 (175,293) 179,589 (482,611) (294,267)
Student enrollment in private schools is very high in high-income areas. Even so, close to 70% of private school students
are in areas with a median income below $100,000. Outside New York City, wealthy families are likely to be located in
high-income school districts, and they enroll their children in public schools rather than in private schools. Even so, a
significant number of students are enrolled in private schools in low-income school districts. (All data in the next five
charts are derived from the five-year estimates of the 2017 American Commu- nity Survey and therefore reflect the
average of data drawn during 2013–17):
Distribution of Annual Family Income
Income Range in
Census Tracts
Total
Enrollment
Students in
Private
Schools
# of Families
in Census
Tracts
Families
Below
$50K
Families
$50K–
$
Families
$100K–
$
Families
$200K and
Above
$250K and above 17,093 % 32,653 % % % %
$200K––$ 27,311 % 59,203 % % % %
$150–$ 35,139 % 73,248 % % % %
$100–$ 116,474 % 202,083 % % % %
$50–$ 587,643 % 826,418 % % % %
Below $50K 537,054 % 572,934 % % % %
Grand Total 1,320,714 % 1,766,539 % % % %
School Enrollment in the Rest of New York State by Family Income and School District
New York City Census Tracts: Demographic Characteristics
Enrollment in Public and
Private Schools in Areas with
Average Family Income
$150K and Above, New York
City and the Rest of New
York State
Public School
Private School
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
NYC
(Census Tracts)
Rest of NY State
(School Districts)
Distribution of Annual Family Income
Income Range in
Census Tracts
Total
Enrollment
Students in
Private
Schools
# of Families
in Census
Tracts
Families
Below
$50K
Families
$50K–
$
Families
$100K–
$
Families
$200K and
Above
$250K and above 9,613 % 9,051 % % % %
$200K–$ 21,251 % 22,051 % % % %
$150–$ 80,939 % 105,612 % % % %
$100–$ 639,326 % 886,150 % % % %
$50–$ 1,071,438 % 1,574,812 % % % %
Below $50K 174,528 % 201,604 % % % %
Grand Total 1,997,095 % 2,799,280 % % % %
%
%
%
%
Across the state, higher-income areas tend to have much higher adult educational-attainment levels than do low- er-income
areas. They also tend to include more white and Asian families than other communities:
Adults 25 and Over Racial Distribution–All Residents
Income Range in
Tracts
HS Grad or
Higher
Bachelor’s or
Higher White Black Asian Hispanic
$250K and above % % % % % %
$200–$ % % % % % %
$150–$ % % % % % %
$100–$ % % % % % %
$50–$ % % % % % %
Below $50K % % % % % %
Total % % % % % %
New York State School Districts Outside New York City: Demographic Characteristics
Student Enrollment in Private Schools, 2018–19
Includes schools with 11 different affiliations, including Christian Fundamentalist, Lutheran, Muslim, Mennonite, Baptist, etc.
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
Adults 25 and Over Racial Distribution–All Residents
Income Range in
Tracts
HS Grad or
Higher
Bachelor’s or
Higher White Black Asian Hispanic
$250K and above % % % % % %
$200–$ % % % % % %
$150–$ % % % % % %
$100–$ % % % % % %
$50–$ % % % % % %
Below $50K % % % % % %
Total % % % % % %
In New York State as a whole, and in New York City, Jewish schools educate more students than schools of any other
religious affiliation. There are many more students enrolled in Jewish schools in New York State as a whole than are
enrolled in public charter schools. Outside New York City, Catholic schools serve more students than Jewish schools:
Affiliation New York State New York City Rest of NY State
All Private Schools: 442,594 % 256,678 % 185,916 %
Jewish 170,368 % 111,970 % 58,398 %
Catholic 149,062 % 77,025 % 72,037 %
Independent 87,841 % 49,544 % 38,297 %
Other* 35,323 % 18,139 % 17,184 %
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
2000–01 2003–04 2006–07 2009–10 2012–13 2015–16 2018–19
Catholic
Jewish
Independent
Other Religious
Private School Enrollment in New York City, 2001–19, by School Type
2000–01 2003–04 2006–07 2009–10 2012–13 2015–16 2018–19
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
Catholic
Jewish
Independent
Other Religious
Private School Enrollment in New York State (Outside the City), 2001–19, by School Type
Student enrollment in New York City and State private schools has changed dramatically since 2000–01. In those 18
years, enrollment in Catholic schools in the city and the rest of the state has dropped by half; and Jewish schools have
grown by % in the city and % in the rest of the state:
Racial/Ethnic Enrollment by Private School Affiliation: New York City, 2018–19
All Private
Catholic
Jewish
Independent
Other Private
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Racial/Ethnic Enrollment by Private School Affiliation: New York State Outside New
York City, 2018–19
All Private
Catholic
Jewish
Independent
Other Private
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
A Statistical Profile of New York’s K-12 Educational Sector: Race, Income and Religion
Students enrolled in Jewish schools (New York City and State) are almost exclusively white. Schools of other
affiliations serve more mixed populations. In New York City’s Catholic schools, black and Hispanic students con- stitute
more than half of all students. Outside the city,70% of the students in Catholic schools are white:
All Private Catholic Jewish Independent Other Private
Asian % % % % %
Black % % % % %
Hispanic % % % % %
White % % % % %
Other % % % % %
All Private Catholic Jewish Independent Other Private
Asian % % % % %
Black % % % % %
Hispanic % % % % %
White % % % % %
Other % % % % %
Endnotes
1 New York State Education Department, Information and Reporting Services, Nonpublic School Enrollment and Public School Enrollment.
2 . Census Bureau, American Fact Finder.
February 2020
