John Hildebrand

Melville

Senior Education Writer at Newsday

Senior Education Writer, Newsday. Retweets and follows do not necessarily mean endorsements.

Articles

School aid for Long Island to rise by more than $270M in 2025-26

6 days ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand |Michael Ebert

Long Island school districts will get more than $270 million in additional state aid for the 2025-26 academic year — up nearly 5.4% from the current year — as part of a state budget that will provide a growing share of the region’s education funding. The financial package for Nassau and Suffolk counties, totaling nearly $5.3 billion, represents a $42 million increase from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s original budget proposal in January.
Hicksville school district wants to raises taxes by 2.54%, overriding state tax cap

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

The Hicksville school district is seeking to override its property tax cap with a proposal to raise taxes by more than 2% next school year and by around 3% in subsequent years. Under the plan, approved unanimously Wednesday night by the district’s seven-member board, spending would rise by 4.38% during the 2025-26 school year to a total of $180,751,423, according to district officials.
As NYS budget talks continue, LI school officials left in limbo over 2025-26 aid

4 weeks ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

Long Island school officials who face tight deadlines for their local budgets are voicing frustration over the state's delay in producing its own budget, which would include a multibillion-dollar package of educational funding aid for the 2025-26 school year. Under state law, school districts by April 25 must approve budget proposals for submission to local residents. Voting on those plans is scheduled for May 20.
ELA testing disruptions continue for second day on Long Island, statewide

1 month ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

Breakdowns in the state's testing system hit schools on Long Island and statewide for the second consecutive day Wednesday, a situation that Albany education officials called "unacceptable."The issues were being felt in elementary and middle schools that had scheduled computerized testing this month on the state's English Language Arts tests for tens of thousands of students.
Elementary, middle school English testing breakdown impacts schools on Long Island

1 month ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

A breakdown in computerized state English tests in elementary and middle grades hit about 10% of schools on Long Island and statewide, education officials said Tuesday. In the Levittown district, an assistant superintendent, Beth Zirogiannis, notified school staffers and parents that makeup tests would be administered on Thursday.
Shelter Island school board votes to seek 6.9% tax increase, first on Long Island so far to attempt busting 2% school tax cap

1 month ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

Shelter Island school officials are pushing for a 6.9% tax hike that would override the district's cap limit and mark the first such effort announced by a school system on Long Island this year. Approval of the cap-busting move came in a unanimous vote Monday by five board members with two absent.
Robert Kravitz appointed new Jericho schools superintendent

1 month ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

The Jericho school district has named a longtime school administrator from suburban New Jersey as its new superintendent, succeeding Hank Grishman, who recently announced plans to retire in June at the end of this school year. Robert Kravitz has served as superintendent in Fort Lee, N.J., since 2021, and has more than 20 years’ experience as an educator, the Jericho school board announced Tuesday.
Long Island school property taxes could rise an average of 2.62% in 2025-26

2 months ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand |Michael Ebert

School property taxes for the 2025-26 academic year could rise an average of 2.62% on Long Island, according to figures collected by the state Comptroller's Office and released at Newsday's request. Early projections show that a majority of Island school districts — 69 of 124 — are keeping proposed tax increases below the inflation rate, a Newsday analysis found. Current inflation is running at 2.8%, down from 3% in February.
Regents exam exemptions in emergencies get preliminary OK

2 months ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand

Students experiencing a major injury or other traumatic event could obtain an exemption from taking a state Regents exam under a regulatory change given preliminary approval Monday by state education officials. Under new rules, school district superintendents or principals of independent schools would be empowered to grant testing exceptions to high school students faced with a "major life event," such as a critical illness or death of a family member.
AP test results: See how New York, Long Island fared

2 months ago | newsday.com | John Hildebrand |Michael Ebert

New York, for the third consecutive year, maintained its high state ranking in Advanced Placement testing, while hundreds of high schools statewide and on Long Island won individual honors, test sponsors reported. The latest results, for 2024, show that New York upped its academic performance while also holding onto its second-place position among states. Rankings were based on the percentage of public-school graduates who passed at least one college-level AP test.