The Farmingdale School District Board of Education is in the process of preparing the 2008/09 school budget. Throughout this process, the board is committed to maintaining the district's academic excellence while minimizing the impact on taxpayers. The proposed tax levy increase of 2.64 percent represents the lowest in 15 years.

A major priority of the Farmingdale School District Board of Education is to maintain all current academic programs. In addition, the 2008/09 proposed budget includes a variety of extra-curricular choices at the high school level that will provide additional learning opportunities for students. The proposed budget also provides for the reduction of class sizes in the K, 1 and 2 classes to maximize the learning opportunities for each student.

Budget workshops that began in mid-March have offered the community the opportunity to learn about the budget process and provide input to the board. The final budget workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 at 8 p.m. in the Howitt Middle School East Cafeteria. At this meeting there will be public participation opportunities for residents to ask questions or voice concerns regarding the budget. The board anticipates adopting the 2008/09 budget on Wednesday, April 16 at a special meeting to be held at the Howitt Middle School East Cafeteria at 8 p.m.