Letter: Charter schools don't get full allocation

The Hempstead school district continues to blame charter schools for its budget and other troubles [“Budget calls for job cuts,” News, May 1].

With charter schools in Hempstead, the district has been able to save millions of dollars a year. This is because the three charter schools receive approximately 70 percent on the dollar for funding, based on New York State law. The remaining funds are kept by the district, which is responsible for paying for some costs for charter students, including special education services for individualized education plans. This amounts to less than 2.5 percent, resulting in the district netting approximately 27.5 percent per pupil for simply having a charter school student in the district.

Newsday reported there are 1,769 students enrolled in charter schools in the district. The total savings Hempstead achieved by educating students at charter schools instead of the district was $14.4 million for the 2018-19 school year. What has Hempstead done with these savings?

Charter schools are not the enemy. We can all learn from each other and build upon best practices. The district needs to stop looking for scapegoats and start addressing the culture of waste and failure that has persisted for generations.

Gil Bernardino and

   Sarah Brewster,

  Long Beach

Editor’s note: Bernardino is president of the Evergreen Charter School in Hempstead; Brewster is vice president.