When Stephen Strachan arrived at Hempstead High in late 2014, the new principal was under pressure to turn the school around. At the time, just one out of every two students left the high school with a diploma. Deemed “persistently struggling,” meaning it failed to meet academic benchmarks for at least 10 years, the school was placed on the state's receivership list in July 2015. Officials were given one year to improve. The school was restored to good academic standing in 2023. And figures from the state Education Department show that in the past decade the school's graduation rate has improved significantly, to 84%. More on the turnaround is at the link in bio. (Photos: Rick Kopstein and Steve Pfost) - - #longislandny #nassaucountyny #hempsteadny #highschool #graduation