Farmingdale School Budget: The Parent Reaction

In tough school budget years like this one, employee benefits, reserve accounts, state aid lapses and other complicated aspects of educational spending take center stage.

But active parents in the say they only have one real concern – how the budget cuts will affect the education of their kids.

It’s an education parents say has been top notch.

“Having had three children go through the Farmingdale school system, I have nothing but the highest regard for the education they have received,” said Joy Wendel, a Farmingdale resident for more than 30 years. “They have had countless wonderful teachers and guidance counselors that really cared about them.”

“As a parent of five, I have sent three kids through the Farmingdale School District, and have nothing but praise for the teachers, coaches and other professionals I have encountered along the way,” said Dan Napolitano, a Farmingdale father active in the youth sports leagues.

This year, the school district is receiving $2 million less state aid than last year, while state-mandated costs like retirement system contributions and health insurance have increased 35 percent and 15 percent respectively.

On May 17, the Farmingdale School District will put to vote a $146,957,711 budget, which calls for a and represents a decrease in spending from last year. The $1.07 million of cuts this year include reducing district staff, combining seventh- and eighth- grade sports teams and eliminating some after-school clubs, while maintaining an average district-wide class size of 21.71, keeping career electives available and recognizing the value of extracurriculars, administrators said.

"Faced with Albany's failure to produce the promised aid and unfunded mandates, I'm amazed that the administration was able to put together such a fair budget," said Anita Lalor, who is president of the PTA. "It's unfortunate when anyone has to lose a job [but] the administration and the Board went to great lengths to minimize both that outcome and the impact to the kids."

While parents praise the district, they also say they have felt pressured to pass the tax increases the budgets call for when programs their kids are active in are at risk.

“I feel in some ways that is a pressure tactic on the parents,” Wendel said. “My biggest objection is how the first thing to be cut are things that directly affect the kids, like in this case after-school clubs. I can't believe that they cannot scour the budget and find other cuts instead of taking away from the kids right away.”

Mike Kennedy, another Farmingdale resident with active sons in the district, agreed.

“I’m a little cynical about when the district sends the kids home with propaganda on how budgets voted down will directly impact school sports [as a way for them] to tell their parents why they need a tax increase,” Kennedy said.

This year, the district chose to trim rather than eliminate opportunities altogether. While seventh-and eight-grade sports were combined, no high school sports programs were cut and while the fourth-and-fifth grade recorder program was eliminated, those music students can participate in orchestra, band or chorus. Instead of choosing which after-school clubs will be cut, the district is waiting until September to see which clubs have the least interest.

“I have no problem with the cuts that I know of,” said Rosemarie Stauber, who has a son in and is a member of the school’s PTA. “Cutting back on unpopular clubs makes sense and it does not appear that significant cuts will be made to the music and arts program, something that is fantastic in our district and much better than surrounding districts.”

Other parents said the district could have been more creative when cutting.

“My solution would be to eliminate all seventh grade sports and have only eighth graders compete against other schools,” Napolitano said.

He went on to explain that the Farmingdale youth leagues could adapt their age brackets to take in the seventh graders and that would allow all the eighth graders to compete on teams without any cuts being made.

These cuts and other aspects of the school budget were/will be discussed at five designated budget meetings and at more than 20 PTA meetings, community meetings and school staff meetings throughout April and May. This year the budget presentation was also put on the district’s website.

In regards to complaints in the community about step raises and retirement plans, Lalor said she wishes the Board could make every taxpayer in the community understand that these are things "non-negotiable from a local standpoint."

"In order to affect real change for the school districts, the laws have to be changed first," she said. "Until that time comes, we have to educate the 6,000 students in this community."

Some parents say there is still a lack of information about the district’s spending.

“Being a working mom of two boys under three makes it near impossible to attend many of the budget meetings,” said Tanni Chin. “I've read the proposed budget information that is listed on the Farmingdale Board of Education website and it really doesn't say anything except what they are going to cut. I've tried locating a detailed budget and actual spending report to see exactly where the many millions are going but haven't had any luck.”

Chin, who is an accountant, proposes the district post a detailed P&L on the district website for working parents and other taxpayers to feel better about where their money is going.

“Quarterly I get a full P&L report for a company I own one $18.49 share in,” she said. “Why can't I get that same kind of reporting for the school district I give nearly $12,000 to annually?”

All opinions expressed above are those of the individual parent and not of the organizations in which they are involved.