By Matt Fisher
Hempstead School District officials revealed a possible $30 million budget deficit for the upcoming school year during a March 6 news conference, attributing the shortfall to the rising costs of charter school enrollment. The district currently allocates around $100 million to nearby charter schools, a figure that has surged because of increasing attendance.
“Over the last seven years, we have lost approximately 3,000 students to charter schools,” said acting Superintendent Susan Johnson.
Owing to declining attendance and a multi-phase evaluation, the district also announced plans to close an elementary school, leading to the elimination of 15 teaching positions and nine administrative roles.
“We noticed that there were 18 vacant classrooms at the elementary level alone,” Johnson said. “We had classes operating with just 11 or 12 students per teacher. We had to address that need, so in looking at that, phase one became the reorganization from five elementary schools to four.”
Another factor in the district’s financial strain is the rising cost of charter school funding. “Over the last four or five years, the cost of charter schools has almost doubled, from $55 million to a projected $106 million for the 2025-26 school year,” said Jamal Scott, the district’s superintendent of business and operations.
“If the projected charter school increase is $19 million next year, and state aid is only increasing by approximately $4.4 million, we’re already behind the eight ball,” he said.
After the news conference, some expressed concern about the district’s comments on charter schools and their role in the financial crisis. However, during the district’s work-study meeting on March 12, Board of Education President Victor Pratt addressed discrepancies in how the district’s statements were portrayed.
“I would like to take a moment to clarify something that was reported in the paper regarding last week’s press conference,” he said. “One of the headlines I read stated, ‘School officials blame charter schools.’ I want to be clear: This is not my position, nor is it the position of the Hempstead Union Free School District.”
Pratt, who became Board of Education president last July, emphasized that “charter schools absolutely have the right to exist” and that “parents should have the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their children.”
Further clarifying the board’s statements, he explained that the “rate” at which charter schools are funded is the cause of the Hempstead public school system’s current financial situation.
charter schools. // Courtesy Hempstead School District
“The rate per pupil for students in Hempstead is nearly $8,000 higher than the rate per pupil for students in neighboring Freeport,” he said. “This discrepancy in funding is what creates an inequitable situation for our public schools.”
As the district battles financial strain, Pratt stressed the importance of moving toward a future where all students’ needs are met. “It’s essential that we address this funding structure to ensure that all students, whether in traditional public schools or charter schools, have access to the resources they need to succeed,” Pratt said. “Our goal is to work toward a system that provides fair and equitable funding for all schools without one being disadvantaged at the expense of another.”
