The New York State Department of Health issued a $300,000 fine for UTA of Kiryas Joel, a yeshiva serving the Aaronite Satmar faction, after the school allowed 121 children to attend school for more than 100 days without having received the vaccinations required by the state. The school was previously told that it could be made to pay up to $61 million for the violations. 

As part of an agreement school leaders made with the DOH, the school agreed to review all students’ immunization records, tell DOH how many of them are out of compliance, and exclude those students from attending class. The school must also develop a plan to review immunization records on a regular basis.

The school will have to pay $150,000 within 30 days of Feb. 21, the effective date of the agreement. As for the other half of the penalty, if the school achieves and maintains full compliance with school vaccination laws through the 2027-2028 school year, the DOH will not require it to be paid.

According to New York State law, “No principal, teacher, owner or person in charge of a school shall permit any child to be admitted to such school, or to attend such school, in excess of fourteen days” without evidence that the child has received the vaccinations that are required in order to attend school.