The Terry Weathers Board Room at Howitt Middle School was so packed at the Dec. 1 Farmingdale Board of Education meeting that president Anthony Vitale said, in the future, meetings will likely be held in the cafeteria to accommodate the large turnouts.

Board vice president Tina Diamond began the meeting by congratulating the high school football team for making it to the conferences, and though they didn't win, she was proud to see them at Hofstra. Diamond then went on to congratulate the performances of the band and choir at the Farmingdale Christmas tree lighting. Diamond commented that "they were wonderful."

The board discussed the policy for interscholastic athletics. In the drafted policy, an appeal is in place to give seventh- and eighth-grade students the opportunity to participate on an interscholastic team at the high school level that is not offered at the middle school. Concerns were raised by the board, however, about the younger middle school students being integrated with the older high school students in a setting such as a locker room; board members felt that there could be social implications.

"Are we comfortable with having a 12-year-old in a locker room with 17- and 18-year-olds with the language and the conversations we know will be happening on those buses and in the locker room," Board Trustee Barbara Rubinstein inquired.

Another question raised was whether an opportunity for a high school student to play on the team might be jeopardized if middle school students are allowed to participate. There was some disagreement among board members about whether or not seventh- and eighth-graders should be allowed to play on the high school level or not. Since a decision could not be made immediately, it was decided by the board to pass the draft of the policy as it stands, and the policy can be revisited and amended if necessary.

The public became vocal with the board regarding the bond referendum for Farmingdale schools that was voted down by residents on Nov. 23. Resident Deborah Sham, who ran twice for a board position, told the board one of the reasons she thought the bond didn't pass.

"The community is afraid to give the money to the school district because it doesn't get spent the way it is communicated to us," Sham said. "The communication [to the community] has to be effective and it has to be truthful."

Senior citizens in the audience also spoke up, imploring the board to please stop raising taxes.

"Isn't it the obligation of the board to find ways to keep the budget at such a level that old guys like myself living on a pension can afford to live in Farmingdale?" resident John Wallace questioned. Wallace has been a Farmingdale resident since 1951.

After listening to concerns about higher taxes, Vitale assured residents that the board really struggles with taxes and tries to come up with the money while keeping people in the community.

"Without the foundation of the school district, our kids won't get into the schools they're getting into, and they won't graduate to become teachers, doctors and lawyers; they're not going to get there," Vitale said.

He ended the session by saying that if you destroy the foundation, then you destroy the future.