Teachers in Hempstead worked without a contract or wage increase for more than a decade, and district officials told them it was because of charter schools, said Hempstead Classroom Teachers Association President Nicole Brown.

“Our district financial superintendent did a budget presentation, and he shared some really staggering numbers. They estimate that $78 million is going to be spent on charter schools next year,” Brown said. “Charter schools are the second largest expenditure in the Hempstead school budget.” 

“We spend more money on charter schools than we do for special education and transportation,” Brown said. “That’s scary.” 

The Hempstead Union Free School District was finally able to negotiate a fair contract with teachers in 2022, but only because of the infusion of overdue Foundation Aid that was finally paid by the state, Brown said. Now, facing the threat that charter schools will continue to multiply, teachers are worried that they will soon be in another protracted battle over contracts.  

“I’m scared about what’s going to happen when it’s time for the second round of negotiations for the new contract, which is right around the corner,” Brown said. Charter schools have already made off with more than 3,000 Hempstead students; what happens if more charter schools open?  

The increasing costs cannot be passed on to taxpayers because they are already paying twice as much as residents in neighboring Garden City, even though they earn considerably less, Brown said; The median household income in Hempstead is $58,536, in Garden City, $250,001.  

“These are middle-class or low-income folks who are working extremely hard just to survive. They pay their taxes, but their taxes go to a charter school that their child does not attend, a charter school that depletes funds from the public school their child does go to. In fact, the charter school takes money from the public schools where most children in Hempstead go. It is a fundamental problem,” Brown said.  

Not only do charter schools take public schools’ financial resources, she continued, but they also take public schools’ human resources. Hempstead public school employees split their time between the district and Hempstead’s six charter schools and sending their speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, counselors, and special educators to charter schools further weakens public school students’ shot at academic achievement. “Instead of our clinicians being here to serve our students who need services, they have to travel out of the buildings and service the students in the charter schools,” she said. “It’s like a vicious cycle.”