Farmingdale Public Schools were well represented at the Nassau Assembly Lobbying Day that took place last Friday. In addition to the attendance of the district's superintendent and several PTA members, the head of Farmingdale PTA was a featured speaker, and provided an eloquent argument for more state education funding that was, unmistakably, straight from the heart.

Farmingdale, along with several other districts from throughout the county, effectively illustrated that the new fourth and eighth grade assessments and all-Regents graduation requirements mandated by the State Education Department are not adequately funded by the state. The new tests are not only required, they are much tougher than previous models, and have necessitated the revamping of curriculum, new textbooks, and extra help classes to help students pass. As noted by the education advocates at the lobbying event, if the state does not provide extra money for the implementation of the standards, districts will feel the need to raise local school taxes to pay for it, and therefore, the burden will fall on local taxpayers.

As persuasive as these local lobbyists are, however, it is not clear how the state will respond as this year's budget negotiations heat up both in Albany and in local districts. As those in education circles may recall, the case for providing extra funding for the standards was made last year, but ultimately the Farmingdale School District was among many that did not receive what they felt was adequate state funding for the mandates. Instead, the state cited a historic overall increase in aid to school districts state-wide of $500 million. Farmingdale's piece of that increase was about $500,000, a figure administrators said did not represent a significant increase, considering increased enrollment and the effects of early 1990s aid cuts.

The issue of funding for the mandated standards is one that is not likely to be resolved quickly, as it seems the state wants local districts to do a better job of educating students using relatively the same amount of funds as in years past. It also seems that diligent, education lobbyists are willing to keep the matter at the top of their agenda for as many years as necessary to get results. Meanwhile, this year, Farmingdale and other local districts are urged to do the best they can to keep the implementation of the standards, especially support for students with special needs, a top priority in their budgets, while curbing spending however possible in other areas, in order to spare the already overtaxed, middle-class Nassau County homeowner.

Andrea Morale