Farmingdale School Budget Preview For 2024-25

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale residents are set to head to the polls on Tuesday, May 21.

The vote is scheduled at Weldon E. Howitt Middle School's west gymnasium from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Farmingdale School District's proposed spending plan for the 2024-25 school year is $200,036,027. That's a 2.95 percent increase from the current budget. The tax levy is $140,429,624, or a 2.64 percent increase from last year's.

Four school board candidates are vying for three open seats: Anthony Giordano, Sheree Jones, Gavin Rogers and Kathy Lively. People can vote for three.

"Each school year has its own set of unique challenges," Superintendent Paul Defendini wrote in a letter to the community. "The start of the 2023/24 school year was quite possibly one of the most difficult years for this community in recent history. The tragic bus accident on September 21, 2023 forever changed the lives of everyone in this community. What followed this tragic event was nothing short of inspiring. Communities across the state rallied in support of Farmingdale. Donations were collected, time was given, support was provided from all types of individuals, businesses and government agencies, and we were all humbly made aware of how essential community is. More importantly, when we put aside all of our petty differences we were reminded
how precious this life is. It is a privilege to be a part of this community. The unwavering support this community shows when it comes to our district is unmatched, and for that we should all be grateful to be Dalers."

The 2024-25 budget will ensure all programs and services the Farmingdale community "needs remain in place," Defendini said.

The proposed budget is centered around designing programs and services in accordance with the Board of Education goals to "close student achievement gaps, improve safety and student wellness, and the continuation of our initiative to address the increasing need for student support and special education services," Defendini said.

"As costs continue to rise it is becoming increasingly difficult to mitigate them without additional funding sources," he said. "Our budget parameters for this year were focused on finding cost efficiencies while maintaining programs and services to meet the Board of Education goals. I am proud to say that we were able to meet these objectives without sacrificing our strong financial position."