Hempstead schools 'part ways' with Superintendent Regina Armstrong
Regina Armstrong, here in 2022, is under contract with the Hempstead school district through June 30 of next year. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The Hempstead school board voted 4-1 Thursday to sever ties with Superintendent Regina Armstrong, a spokesperson for the school district confirmed.
"After careful consideration and thorough deliberation, the Board of Education of the Hempstead Union Free School District has made the decision to part ways with Superintendent Regina Armstrong effective immediately," read a letter sent by board president Victor Pratt to parents following Thursday’s meeting.
"This decision was not made lightly and comes after a comprehensive review of recent developments and their impact on our school district."
Former district Superintendent Susan Johnson will step into the role of interim superintendent through Oct. 9, according to a district spokesperson. A search for a new, permanent leader is underway, but the spokesperson declined to comment on whether the search is internal or external.
The spokesperson also declined to elaborate on "developments" the letter indicates preceded the board’s decision.
Armstrong is under contract with the school district through June 30 of next year. The spokesperson confirmed she will be paid through the remainder of her three-year contract period.
Armstrong was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening.
She had spent her entire career at the district.
She started in 1990 as a second-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School and held ranks as a curriculum specialist at Prospect School, assistant principal at Franklin Elementary, Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School and Fulton Elementary School — now Paterson Elementary — where she became principal in 2007. In July 2013, she became associate superintendent for elementary curriculum and instruction before she was appointed acting superintendent for the district in January 2018.
In 2018, 54% of students graduated from the Hempstead Union Free School District, compared with a statewide graduation rate of 83%, according to New York State Department of Education data. In 2023, the district graduated 82% of its students, slightly behind the statewide rate of 86%.
In February, Newsday reported that Hempstead police and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office had opened an investigation after hackers intercepted a $3.5 million wire payment from the Hempstead school district to the Evergreen Charter School.
The letter sent to parents Thursday said they should "feel free to reach out to the board with any questions or concerns" regarding the period of change.
