By Christina Arlotta
Evergreen Charter School, a collection of four schools in Hempstead, is seeking to expand its enrollment from the present 1,100 to 1,525 students by June 2030. The increase has not yet been approved and is now under New York State Education Department review. The proposal was revealed at a Hempstead School District public hearing Oct. 24.
As anticipated, supporters and detractors of the proposal attended the roughly hour-long session to voice their thoughts.
Maria, a former Hempstead High School student who did not give her last name, spoke critically of her alma mater and said she believed Evergreen was a better choice for students. “I went to Hempstead High School, and it was not a good experience,” she said. “I think we are benefiting from Evergreen because we are getting a very good school and a very good education. Everything that they want to do, I’ll support them because it’s a very good school.”
Hempstead Superintendent Susan Johnson responded, “I’m glad to hear that, and I’m also glad to say that I’m very happy that I, too, am a product of the Hempstead Union Free School District. I attended and graduated in 1969. I received an excellent foundation, which has allowed me to get my bachelor’s, master’s and complete my coursework for my doctorate. So, I understand how important education is, but I want to point out that we do provide a strong foundation in our public school system.”
Maria, who attended the Hempstead District when it was ranked among the lowest-performing school systems in New York State, shot back, “It’s so-so. I graduated in 1994, and it wasn’t a good experience. But I’m happy now because we have Evergreen.”
In September 2015, under pressure by the State Education Department after decades of poor performance, Hempstead High School officials submitted a 45-page strategic plan for “school excellence” to Superintendent Johnson and the Board of Education president, who at the time was LaMont Johnson. The plan was developed in consultation with teachers and parents, and included a “comprehensive systems approach” to “recruit, develop, retain and equitably distribute effective teachers.”
Additionally, high school officials developed learning partnerships with outside institutions, including Hofstra University, which publishes The Long Island Advocate; instituted new forms of scheduling; and created what they called “professional learning communities.”
Over six years, Hempstead High School graduation rates rose from below 40% to 81% in 2020, which was close to the statewide average of 85%.
In a 2019-21 Progress Report, Dr. Stephen Strachan, the Hempstead High School principal, wrote that the school “is on the rise, no matter what anyone says or what you may hear in the media. We are now six years into our plan for change, and it is clearly working. Our graduation rate continues to rise, and more students than ever are graduating ready for college and careers.”
The graduation rate climbed to 85% in 2023-24, according to NYSED.
Founded in 2009, Evergreen Charter School first opened with 100 students in kindergarten and first grade. It has since expanded to 1,100 students in kindergarten through grade 12. It has only served students in 12th grade since 2023-24, and so graduation rate information was not available in its most recent site visit report by the NYSED Charter School Office.
This most recent report, issued in May 2022 and found on the NYSED website, stated, “Consistently strong academic outcomes denote generally high-quality teaching and learning, as revealed in classroom observations, survey results, and focus groups, as well as in consistently full or near-full enrollment, high student retention rates, and vocal support from the community of families the school serves.”
At the recent public hearing, tempers flared between those for and against expansion of the Evergreen Charter School when Jeff Spencer, the Hempstead School District Board of Education vice president, said charter schools cost taxpayers too much money and do not produce a better education.
“I have been a homeowner in Hempstead for many years,” Spencer said. “The charter schools are raiding our village, costing taxpayers too much money, and taxes in Hempstead are about to go up again because of these charter schools. It is not a better education than public schools.”
At that point, Spencer was interrupted by charter advocates who refuted his last statement. Spencer remarked, “If you want to battle, we can.” A pro-charter member answered, “We can battle anytime you want to.” After that, a loud argument ensued.
The hearing cooled down after Johnson struck her gavel several times and demanded that everyone respect the views of each attendee.
“So, I understand how important education is, but I want to point out that we do provide a strong foundation in our public school system.”
Susan Johnson, Hempstead School District Superintendent
Dr. Sarah Brewster, the co-founder of Evergreen Charter School, said after the hearing that she believes charter and public schools must work together to find plans that benefit all students. “I think the big thing is that there’s so much division right now,” Brewster said. “We don’t want to divide our community even further than the charters, the better public schools, and the traditional public schools. We’re all in this together. This is education. And how can we work not to divide us, but work to help us say, ‘What are the greatest strategies that are helping students achieve?’”
Scott Brinton contributed to this story.
