Hello to our Farmingdale Family. This is Paul Defendini, the proud Superintendent of the Farmingdale School District and today is Monday, February 10, 2025.

As we prepare for a possible upcoming stretch of bad weather, I want to share how we will manage any potential school closures. As you may recall, New York State requires us to provide 180 days of instruction, which includes certain Staff Development days. In Farmingdale, we have scheduled a total of 183 days.

Additionally and more recently, New York State also requires 990 hours of instructional time at our secondary schools (Howitt and Farmingdale High School) and 900 hours of instructional time at our elementary schools. This is where things become complicated.

At the elementary and middle school levels, based on the established schedules at each building, we have the flexibility to declare one snow day without requiring that day to be made up. However, at Farmingdale High School, we are just a fraction above the 990-hour requirement, meaning that any snow day taken will need to be made up. The only reasonable day that can be used to make up for a snow day is the Friday before Memorial Day. We will do all we can to avoid making any changes to the calendar, including using the Friday before Memorial Day as a makeup day.

Here's how we will proceed if we close school for any reason: For elementary and middle school students, we will have a traditional snow day—there’s no need to worry about school or school-related work.

For our high school-age students, we have collaborated with our teachers and administrators to create a manageable and flexible asynchronous learning environment. Asynchronous learning does not require the rigidity of a typical 9-period day. Assignments will be posted on Google Classroom for high school students only. High School students will have the flexibility to complete these assignments at their own pace. If your child has any questions connected to these assignments, they are welcome to reach out to their teachers.

We plan to make adjustments in the future to enhance flexibility, but for now, this is the best arrangement we can offer. I hope you are all doing well, and I look forward to seeing you soon. Stay safe, Farmingdale!