I am writing this letter to the general public to express my interest in our upcoming school budget vote. The community needs to know some facts about this budget. Firstly, we approved a bond issue and now we need to pay for the work that is being done to our schools. This is quite evident in the creation of new classrooms wherever you go in this district. Many people think that passing a bond issue is all we needed to do. Now we have to pay back the lending institution that loaned us the money. All of us do the same thing each month when we make a mortgage payment.

Our district population is growing and this is one of the main reasons for this expansion. Our full day kindergarten also has placed us in need for more classroom space. Secondly, when you expand a program you need to hire more staff to run this program. In this budget there is a request for additional kindergarten teachers to staff these programs. Along with this is the need for furniture, books and equipment to help make the program run successfully.

What does this mean to us the taxpayer of this community? To me it means an increase in my school district taxes, an increase in the quality of education that our children will receive, and a better way of life in the future for our children. Many people say that we shouldn't increase the tax load on us, but that is something we need to take up with our state representatives who still have not passed a state budget. Long Island is still getting the short end of the budget dollars from the state, while other areas of our state are getting a higher share of the state education tax dollars.

We here in Farmingdale enjoy a very unique program, which is known as the Farmingdale Youth Council. We are probably the only after-school recreation program in the state, if not in the nation that is supported by the taxpayers. We provide a summer and winter program, as well as funding to other youth organizations such as baseball, football, soccer, PAL, swimming and Youth Board. We are able to have these programs because our school district provides the use of many of their facilities. This year Youth Council has had to request a small increase in our budget to the taxpayers. This small increase amounts to approximately less than $5 for the average taxpayer. Some of you are questioning what this has to do with our school budget. Well I'll try to explain. State education law says that if a school district does not pass its budget then it must charge all outside organizations appropriate fees for the use of their facilities. The cost of these fees would be so high that Youth Council and its member organizations would not be able to provide the level of programs that this community enjoys. Look at it this way, if you send your child to our summer program for six weeks it will now cost you $5 for the session as compared to hundreds of dollars for a summer camp program. The same would hold true for baseball, football and soccer camps. Those of you who have school age children need to sit back and look at this. Sure you might save on the school budget, but in the long run you will pay even more than a school budget will cost. Don't forget that a home that is within a school district that does not have an approved budget loses its value to any prospective buyer.

I urge all registered voters in the Farmingdale School District to please come out and vote yes on May 15 for both the Farmingdale Youth Council budget and the school district's budget. If you have any questions regarding registration, eligibility to vote, or absentee ballots, please contact Josephine Murray, district clerk, at 752-6552.

Frank L. Garofalo

President Farmingdale Youth Council