Thursday, March 27, 2025
The Hempstead school district finds itself in severe financial straits with a projected $33 million budget deficit and the genuine prospect of laying off employees and restructuring its elementary school buildings, officials said.
“Due to decreased enrollment in the district, especially at the elementary level, the Board and District Administration are considering restructuring the District’s use of its elementary buildings,” officials said in a prepared statement. “Currently, the District has five elementary schools. The restructuring being considered is reducing elementary schools to four and using the fifth elementary building for alternative student-focused programs and services.”
The District is looking at having to budget an additional $19.2 million for charter schools in 2025-2026, bringing the total projected financial plan for next school year to $106.4 million.
The charter schools that receive money from the Hempstead district are: Academy Charter in Uniondale, Roosevelt Children's Academy, Evergreem Charter School and the Brooklyn Dreams Charter School.
The district has budgeted $9.8 million from the fund balance to eliminate the increase in the tax levy and to meet the 2024-2025 revenue budget.
Officials said that they plan on using $16 million from the district’s fund balance to meet its revenue goals.
“Specific restructuring plans are first being considered; if the Board does make the decision to move forward with this restructuring of its elementary school facilities, it would then, in consultation with District Administration, and after input from the community, determine which elementary schools would remain open and which elementary school would be used for other student-based purposes,” officials noted in their statement.
At the same time, Hempstead schools are one of four Long Island districts that showed improvement adter being noted for underperforming by the state.
School districts across the state are in the middle of assembling operating budgets for the next school year. The state budget is expected to be finalized by March 31, allowing school district to know how much state aid they will receive.
District residents across the state will vote on the school budget, Board of Education trustees and school-related referendums on May 20.
