Education Comm. Calls For Investigation Into Hempstead School Enrollment

HEMPTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - The state education commissioner wants an investigation of a Long Island school district's enrollment procedures amid allegations it turned away dozens of Hispanic students for weeks.

Commissioner John King ordered the Nassau BOCES to immediately look into the procedures at Hempstead school district.

Newsday says the mandate centers on recent immigrants and in some cases children who entered the country illegally as unaccompanied minors. At least 34 Hispanic students allegedly were turned away from school for weeks.

More than 2,000 such children, fleeing poverty and violence in Central America, have been released to relatives or sponsors on Long Island this year.

King directed Nassau BOCES to report to him by next Thursday with the number of students allegedly involved.

Hempstead public school officials are scrambling to deal with classroom overcrowding after about 1,200 new students enrolled this year.

As WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported, some classes have as many as 50 students in them. Many of the new students are immigrants.

Some parents at a school board meeting Wednesday night called on surrounding districts to help absorb the overflow of students.

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