Hempstead, Wyandanch school monitor funding cut under Hochul's proposed budget
Regent Roger Tilles criticized the proposed cut to state-appointed monitors on Monday. "These monitors have made a clear difference in these two districts," he said. Credit: Hans Pennink
Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed budget plan would cut about $750,000 earmarked for state-appointed monitors in Hempstead, Wyandanch and two other school districts, according to education officials who said Monday that the move could derail recent progress in those systems.
If state money is not restored, Hempstead and Wyandanch during the next school year would have to pick up costs of monitors who have been assigned there since 2020 to help provide fiscal stability, academic quality or both, officials said. Monitors are serving five-year terms, under state law.
State Department of Education staffers revealed the potential funding loss Monday at a monthly meeting of the state's Board of Regents in Albany. Roger Tilles of Manhasset, who represents Long Island on the education-policy board, denounced the fiscal move.
"These monitors have made a clear difference in these two districts, and it would be a real problem if they were discontinued for lack of funds," Tilles said.
Hochul's budget proposal, released earlier this month, drew high praise from most educators for including a record $2.7 billion increase in extra school aid statewide for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That would bring the total to $34.5 billion.
"Gov. Hochul believes every student deserves a quality education," said John Lindsay, a spokesman for the governor. He added that the budget proposal would fully fund "foundation" aid, which focuses on the needs of districts with high poverty rates.
However, the budget plan also eliminated some funding in other areas, including school monitors assigned to East Ramapo and Rochester, as well as Hempstead and Wyandanch.
Officials within the executive chamber noted that appropriations for local monitors historically have been negotiated with legislators and included in final state budgets adopted around April 1.
For the current school year, both Hempstead and Wyandanch receive $175,000 each in state money to help pay for monitors there, education officials said.
When monitors first stepped in, both districts were in disarray. Wyandanch had reported a series of fiscal deficits, and Hempstead was dealing with low graduation rates and a jarring shake-up in local management.
Since then, conditions in both systems have shown improvement in some areas. Wyandanch has accumulated a budget surplus, for example, while Hempstead has raised its high school graduation rate which was below 40% in 2012 to 83% in 2022
Nonetheless, the state's intervention has been a continued source of tension, with elected board leaders in both districts questioning the need for oversight that includes monitors' attendance at all public meetings.
"If they're not going to provide the money, I believe there should not be a monitor for the Hempstead school district," said Randy Stith, the district's school-board president, who was reached by phone Monday.
Wyandanch board president Jarod Morris did not return a request for comment.
Hochul's overall aid proposal would be beneficial for Hempstead and Wyandanch. For 2023-24, Hempstead would receive an increase in state assistance of $32.4 million or nearly 20%, while Wyandanch would receive an extra $10.7 million or slightly more than 20%.
John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.
