CITY HALL — Score this as a victory for the little guy.

The City Council voted to approve a bill on Dec. 19 to allow small, non-public schools to be reimbursed by New York City for the cost of hiring security guards — just as larger schools are.

Specifically, the bill will expand the number of non-public schools eligible for the city’s reimbursement program. That program, established in 2015, allows schools with an enrollment of at least 300 students to qualify. The new bill lowers that threshold to 150 students.

If Mayor Eric Adams signs the bill into law, which is expected to do in the next few weeks, it will go into effect in July — two months before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Deanna Philippe, principal of Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School, one of a handful of educators who attended a rally outside City Hall before the vote on Dec. 19, called the bill’s passage a game-changer. With an enrollment of less than 300 students, the school was not eligible under the old criteria. 

“The idea is that New York City families that are paying taxes and are part of this community deserve to be safe,” Philippe said. “We shouldn’t have thresholds or criteria for some students being safe and others not.” 

According to Deacon Kevin McCormack, the superintendent of schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn, the bill will greatly benefit schools. 

“It’s going to make a difference,” McCormack said, noting that school security is a top priority. “Look at the headlines. Any way you look, you’re going to see these horror shows that are going on.”

The bill was passed three days after a deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, in which a 15-year-old girl allegedly shot and killed a teacher and a fellow student before turning the gun on herself. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, it was the 327th school shooting in 2024.

Citywide, the new bill will open the reimbursement program up to 384 non-public schools, including religious schools and private schools. According to the superintendent’s office, 42 more schools in the diocese will be able to participate.

The superintendent’s office said the current program covered 31 schools. Out of the diocese’s 65 elementary and 15 high schools, seven have enrollments of less than 150 students and will remain ineligible.

Councilman Justin Brannan of Bay Ridge, who sponsored the bill, said he pushed for the new law to level the playing field. 

“The overwhelming majority of smaller, non-public schools simply can’t afford security guards,” said Brannan, a graduate of Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge. “Now they won’t have to worry.”

The bill will allocate $40 million for the program, an increase from $19 million currently used to reimburse schools for the cost of security guards.

Philippe, who said she is looking forward to her students having more peace of mind, added she will also breathe a little easier.  

“As a school leader, there’s so many things you’re worried about,” she explained. “Not only the students’ academics and their learning but certainly their … emotional safety and their physical safety.” 

“This is one extra layer to bring safety to our kids,” McCormack added.