Diamond Charter School has been approved by the SUNY Charter Schools Institute to open in West Hempstead for the 2026-27 school year.
In 2024, DCS requested approval to open in Hempstead. Despite strong opposition from Hempstead residents and neighboring communities, the proposal was approved by the institute, for a September 2026 opening. In December, DCS submitted a request to revise its application and temporarily operate in West Hempstead for up to two years while completing construction of a permanent location.
On March 3, the institute published a memorandum detailing its approval for DCS to operate in West Hempstead, for a maximum of 18 months.
“The Institute reviewed the facility documents for the temporary location and found them educationally, fiscally and legally sound,” Kathryn Connell-Espinosa, the institute’s executive director, said in a statement to the Herald. “The school also presented feasible plans which would allow the school to move back within the Hempstead Union Free School District by January 1, 2028.”
“While we are disappointed that the approval for temporary relocation was granted for 18 months rather than the two years we initially requested, Diamond Charter School remains fully committed to serving the Village of Hempstead and the surrounding communities,” DCS’s external affairs director, Terrence McLean, wrote to the Herald in an email. “We will continue working closely with our community partners to ensure a smooth transition and to support families throughout this process. Our priority remains providing a strong educational option for students and welcoming all families who wish to attend Diamond Charter School.”
The school, overseen by founder and Executive Director Mark Crusante, is initially expected to serve 162 students in kindergarten and first grade, adding students in other elementary grades each year, eventually serving 486 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to its application.
Charter schools, like public schools, are publicly funded and tuition-free, but in New York state, funding comes largely from local tax revenue. Instead of a Board of Education, a charter school is governed by a board of trustees, and according to DCS’s website, none of its trustees are based on Long Island.
The school’s emphasis, the website states, is on a “research-driven, student-centered approach” to learning. It has one hour more of instruction each day than a traditional public school, and at least five more days of school per year.
It plans to operate at 12 Westminster Road, in the former religious school building at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, while its permanent location, at 131 Fulton Ave. in Hempstead, undergoes renovations.
According to last week’s memorandum, if the school does not relocate to the Hempstead location within 18 months, it will surrender its charter, or the institute’s board of trustees will revoke the charter, effective July 31, 2028.
“While we acknowledge that this revised time line 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,” West Hempstead Superintendent Daniel Rehman wrote in a letter that was shared with the Herald. “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.”
In January, residents, students, staff, district and elected officials voiced their opposition to DCS and its revised plans at public meetings at West Hempstead Secondary School and Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School, in Hempstead.
“When students leave, our district’s funding follows them,” Hempstead Superintendent Gary Rush said at the January meetings. “However the district’s fixed costs do not decrease. We remain responsible for transportation, special-education services, related services, evaluation, compliance and full continuum of supports required for a high-needs population. The cumulative effect of this model is destabilizing, and directly impacts the educational program of the students who remain in Hempstead schools.”
Hempstead is familiar with the impact of charter schools on the district. There are currently three charter schools operating there, and according to Rush, the district spends over $105 million to support the 3,100 students who attend them.
“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,” Rehman wrote. “Charter school placements can carry funding consequences for host districts, and we are committed to conducting a thorough analysis.”
Rehman encouraged families to engage with Diamond Charter School, but to consider the school’s temporary status, and impending relocation. The district is consulting with legal counsel and evaluating all available options to “ensure the interests of West Hempstead students and families are protected throughout this process.”
