The board of education has set Tuesday, May 18 for the school budget vote and election. Voting will take place at the Howitt East Gymnasium between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The Farmingdale Council of PTAs stands solidly behind this budget and urges the Farmingdale School District community to do the same.

At the April 27 meeting, the board adopted the budget for the 1999-2000 school year which calls for a 6.5 percent increase. It's important to understand what lies behind this increase. You probably have already heard about the new standards instituted by the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education. In a nutshell, they affect every student from kindergarten through 12th grade. Our present 4th graders took the first new assessment for that grade level and our 8th graders will be taking theirs shortly. Our 11th graders will be taking the new and as yet untested, six-hour English regents next month. These students represent the first class that must pass the English Regents in order to graduate from high school.

I have had the honor of working with a committed and focused leadership team of school board members, parents, teachers, support staff and administrators, who have been lobbying our local legislators, state senators, assembly persons, and Richard Mills - the commissioner of education, with regard to these new standards. We must continue to be vigilant in our lobbying efforts so that the fiscal responsibility of these unfunded mandates does not rest on the backs of the local taxpayers. We all agree that the standards are essential as we strive to increase educational opportunities for all of our students, it is the timetable that needs to be addressed immediately and the critical lack of funding required to support these standards.

Farmingdale is one of the few districts on Long Island whose current state aid still falls below that of a decade ago even though we are educating 1,000 more students. Although Governor Pataki has taken steps to restore more funds to education in the last few years, our state aid is still woefully inadequate. The Operating Aid line in the governor's budget is but a "drop in the bucket" when such high stakes consequences hang over the heads of our students.

How does the proposed school budget address these issues? Thirteen new classroom teachers, eight at the elementary level alone, and additional support staff are included to accommodate our continued growth in enrollment as well as to support newly developed instructional programs, curriculum and learning strategies necessary to reach all students. Additional funding is included to purchase updated and comprehensive textbooks that support the more rigorous standards. Supplemental buses are included in the transportation portion of the budget to accommodate our increased enrollment and meet the needs of our special education students. Funding for capital projects will continue the reconstruction of our athletic fields, roof reconstruction districtwide, interior classroom modifications, heating and ventilating renovations, data cabling to continue the expansion of our technology program as well as playground safety upgrades districtwide.

Education is the key to understanding. Educated children become educated adults, who in turn become members of an educated and concerned community. We need to acknowledge that in the long run our economic power is fueled by the very strength of our educational system.

Supporting this budget will preserve what is good in Farmingdale as well as promote its continued growth. It will ensure the continuity of our strong educational system and preserve our interscholastic programs and extra-curricula activities. Your support will allow the use of facilities for organizations such as Farmingdale Youth Council, all its member groups and Farmingdale Care.

It is vitally important that you come out and support our children's educational future and the welfare of our community on May 18. Our children cannot vote to protect their education, we must do it for them!

Kathy Dowling, president

Farmingdale Council of PTAs