Candidate Profile: Stephen Wilson

Stephen Wilson is one of two incumbent school board members running unopposed in the Farmingdale school board election on May 17.

Wilson has been on the board since 2005. He is the current vice president and serves on the policy and audit committees, in addition to being the board representative on the Nassau BOCES budget review committee. 

He has lived in Farmingdale for 25 years with his wife and one child, who attended and He says that the district is facing many financial challenges this year.

"Foremost is the current recession," Wilson said. "It's impact has reduced the amount of state aid the district is receiving by over two million dollars. This has stressed the program that we will be able to provide the children of the district. Reductions have had to be made across the curriculum to compensate for the loss of revenue. Finally the recession continues to place stress on the taxpaying community and their ability to pay for tax increases."

Wilson called this year's budget "a tremendous effort" by everyone in the district, especially the central administration, who he said presented the board and the community with a budget "that addressed the restrictions placed by reduced state funding and fairly spread the required reductions throughout the entire curriculum of the district."

He pointed out that the actual cost of the budget was reduced from last year, and that the tax levy increase continues to be kept at a minimum.

Wilson said the district's goal of establishing Farmingdale as a high-achieving district is challenged by the current recession's impact on the taxpaying community and the availability of continued state aid.

"Our focus needs to continue support of the teachers in the classroom and administration in their efforts towards our district goal," he said. "We also need to work with administration to ensure that the cost of achieving our goal is manageable by the community."

He says the board will focus on community education efforts of the district goal and the fiscal constraints, empowerment of the community to lobby state representatives for a fair share of state aid, collaborative contract negotiations with all personnel unions and use of continued restraint in budget preparation, in addition to using reserves to temper the loss of state aid, to continue the comprehensive education program and provide the community with a manageable tax levy during this recession.

Farmingdale residents will vote for the candidates and the district's budget on May 17.

Did you miss candidate John Capobianco's profile? Check it out here.