NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5987

Senate Bill S5987

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits the establishment of new charter schools in certain areas

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 04, 2025	referred to education

2025-S5987 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6902
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education

2025-S5987 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the establishment of new charter schools, or the revision of any charter in, or within a five mile radius of, the Hempstead union free school district, the Uniondale union free school district, or the Roosevelt union free school district.

2025-S5987 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5987

SPONSOR: BYNOE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to prohibiting the establishment of new charter
schools in certain areas

 
PURPOSE:

This purpose of this bill is to prohibit the establishment of charter
schools in certain areas.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill would establish a legislative intent.

Section 2 of this bill would prohibit the establishment of new charter
schools, the reissuance of a surrendered, revoked, or terminated charter
for a charter entity, and certain-revisions of a charter school in the
Hempstead Union Free School District, the Uniondale Union Free School
District and the Roosevelt Union Free School District.

Section 3 of this bill shall provide that the effective date shall take
effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale communities face an oversatu-
ration of charter schools. Charter schools were first authorized in the
State in 1998 and were designed to provide parents and students with
additional educational opportunities. In the three decades since enact-
ment, there has been an increase of charter schools in certain communi-
ties. The method for funding charter schools from public school district
budgets creates a disparity for public schools and impacts their ability
to maintain programs and services. Additionally, funds from public
school district budgets are used to pay tuition for students attending
charter schools. Multiple charter schools located within a radius of a
public school district results in reduced funds in the public school
district's budget, thereby creating fiscal challenges for the impacted
districts. The Legislature should help impacted school districts by
enacting a moratorium on any additional charter school sitings or expan-
sions in the Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale school districts and
within any district contained in five mile radius of the Hempstead,
Roosevelt and Uniondale school districts.

Furthermore, these challenges have been particularly intractable for
certain school districts in Nassau County, including the Hempstead Union
Free School District, the Uniondale Union Free School District and the
Roosevelt Union Free School District. Such districts contain an
increased number of charter schools, with at least ten physical campuses
between the three school districts. For example, in academic year 2024-
2025, approximately $115 million from these three districts was given to
charter schools. Additionally, in academic year 20242025, student
attendance at charter schools was 34% at Hempstead Union Free School
District, 17% at Roosevelt Union Free School District and 13% at Union-
dale Union Free School District. It is difficult for such school
districts to cover the budget gaps created by this loss of funding with-
out fiscal relief.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S5987 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5987
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BYNOE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT in relation to  prohibiting  the  establishment  of  new  charter
   schools in certain areas
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Legislative intent. It is the intent of this act to address
 the oversaturation of charter schools in the  Hempstead,  Roosevelt  and
 Uniondale communities. Charter schools were first authorized in New York
 State  in  1998  and  were designed to provide parents and students with
 additional educational opportunities. In the three decades since  enact-
 ment,  there has been an increase of charter schools in certain communi-
 ties. The method for funding charter schools from public school district
 budgets creates a disparity for public schools and impacts their ability
 to maintain programs and services. Funds  from  public  school  district
 budgets  are used to pay tuition for students attending charter schools.
 Multiple charter schools located within a  radius  of  a  public  school
 district  results in reduced funds in the public school district's budg-
 et, thereby creating fiscal challenges for the impacted districts.    It
 is  the  intent  of the legislature to help impacted school districts by
 enacting a moratorium on any additional charter school sitings or expan-
 sions within the five-mile radius of Hempstead, Roosevelt and  Uniondale
 school buildings.
   Furthermore,  these  challenges have been particularly intractable for
 certain school districts in Nassau County, including the Hempstead Union
 Free School District, the Uniondale Union Free School District  and  the
 Roosevelt   Union  Free  School  District.  Such  districts  contain  an
 increased number of charter schools, with at least ten physical campuses
 between the three school districts. For example, in academic year  2024-
 2025, approximately $115 million from these three districts was given to
 charter  schools.  Additionally,  in  academic  year  2024-2025, student

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10117-05-5

 S. 5987                             2
 
 attendance at charter schools was 34% at  Hempstead  Union  Free  School
 District,  17% at Roosevelt Union Free School District and 13% at Union-
 dale Union Free  School  District.  It  is  difficult  for  such  school
 districts to cover the budget gaps created by this loss of funding with-
 out fiscal relief.
   §  2. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the
 contrary, no application to establish a charter school submitted  pursu-
 ant to section twenty-eight hundred fifty-one of the education law shall
 be  approved by any charter entity if such proposed charter school would
 operate in the Hempstead Union Free School District, the Uniondale Union
 Free School District, or the Roosevelt Union Free School District or  in
 any  part  of any other school district within a five mile radius of the
 Hempstead Union Free School District, the Uniondale  Union  Free  School
 District, or the Roosevelt Union Free School District.
   A  charter  that has been surrendered, revoked, or terminated pursuant
 to section twenty-eight hundred fifty-five of  the  education  law  that
 operated  in  the  Hempstead  Union  Free School District, the Uniondale
 Union Free School District, or the Roosevelt Union Free School  District
 or in any part of any other school district within a five mile radius of
 the  Hempstead  Union  Free  School  District,  the Uniondale Union Free
 School District, or the Roosevelt Union Free School District,  including
 a  charter  that  has  not been renewed by action of its charter entity,
 shall not be reissued.  Additionally, no application to revise a charter
 school to increase the number of students to be served by  such  charter
 school,  increase the ages and grade levels to be served by such charter
 school, or to increase the number of facilities  or  locations  used  by
 such  charter school, submitted pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred
 fifty-two of the education law shall be approved by any  charter  entity
 if  such charter school would operate in the Hempstead Union Free School
 District, the Uniondale Union Free School  District,  or  the  Roosevelt
 Union  Free  School District or in any part of any other school district
 within a five mile radius of the Hempstead Union Free  School  District,
 the  Uniondale  Union  Free School District, or the Roosevelt Union Free
 School District. For the purposes of this  section,  a  school  district
 shall mean the boundary of service provided by such school district.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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