In a special meeting, the Farmingdale Board of Education on April 28 adopted the school district's proposed 1998-99 school budget of $74,619,114.

The event was the culmination of weeks of budget workshops, cutting costs and public participation. The school budget for next year reflects an increase of $4,101,409, or 5.82 percent over that of the 1997-98 school year. Taxpayers in the district will vote on the budget May 19.

In stating his approval of the budget, Dr. Philip Acinapuro, a long-time member of the school board, said, "I've seen what education could do for the first generation Americans. It enabled us to leave the ghettos. It opened doors for us. I will support this budget as thank you to those people who voted for the budgets when I was going to school."

School Board President Josephine Macchia thanked the administration for their efforts regarding the budget on behalf of the entire school community.

Also at the meeting, the board approved the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) administrative budget of $10,816,506, and voted Board Member Anthony Vitale to a seat on the BOCES Board of Education.