On March 5, 2026, the West Hempstead Union Free School District received an official letter from the State University of New York Board of Trustees (the “SUNY Trustees”), in their capacity as a charter authorizer, notifying our district of an approved charter revision affecting Diamond Charter School (DCS). This notice, issued pursuant to New York Education Law § 2857(1), confirms that the SUNY Charter Schools Institute has approved Diamond Charter School’s request to temporarily “incubate” within the West Hempstead Union Free School District for a period of up to 18 months, beginning with the 2026–27 school year.
We want our families and community members to understand the full context of this decision. Diamond Charter School had originally requested to incubate in our district for up to two years. The SUNY Charter Schools Institute approved a shorter period, up to 18 months, as a condition of that temporary placement. While we acknowledge that this revised timeline is somewhat reduced from the original request, the fact remains that our district is still being asked to serve as an incubation site for a school chartered to operate in the Hempstead Union Free School District. That is a responsibility we did not seek and one that carries real implications for our students, our staff, and our community. Quite simply, any period of “incubation” in West Hempstead is disappointing. Our district exists to serve West Hempstead students, and we remain committed to that singular mission.
Diamond Charter School is approved to serve 162 students in grades K–1 during the 2026–27 school year, with planned growth to 486 students in grades K–5 by the 2030–31 school year. The school is chartered to be permanently located within the Hempstead Union Free School District. The SUNY Charter Schools Institute received the revision application on or about December 29, 2025, and formally approved it on March 3, 2026. If Diamond Charter School fails to relocate to its approved location in Hempstead within the 18-month period, the school will be required to surrender its charter, or the SUNY Trustees will revoke it, effective July 31, 2028.
We are aware that Diamond Charter School may reach out directly to families within our community as they seek to enroll students. We want to be clear: West Hempstead Union Free School District families have every right to make informed choices regarding their children’s education. We encourage all families who receive outreach from Diamond Charter School to ask thorough questions — particularly regarding the school’s temporary status, its planned relocation to Hempstead, and what that transition may mean for enrolled students and families. We urge our community to approach these decisions with full information.
At this time, we are still in the early stages of evaluating the financial implications of this decision for the West Hempstead Union Free School District. Charter school placements can carry funding consequences for host districts, and we are committed to conducting a thorough analysis. We will share further information with our community as that picture becomes clearer. What we can say today is that our district’s budget and resources must continue to prioritize the students and families we were chartered to serve.
The SUNY Trustees have indicated that the proposed revision will be forwarded to the New York State Board of Regents for further approval or action consistent with the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998. Our district is actively monitoring this process. We are consulting with legal counsel and will evaluate all available options to ensure that the interests of West Hempstead students and families are protected throughout this process. We will provide updates to our community as new information becomes available.