Hello to our Farmingdale Family. This is Paul Defendini, Superintendent of Schools and today is January 3, 2025. Today’s message contains two items: the first is aimed at our residents in the Town of Babylon and the second is related to next week’s Bond Vote.

Town of Babylon Tax Increase

Here in Farmingdale, we understand the high expectations our community and parents have for our schools. Every day, we work diligently to develop programs and services that meet these standards while responsibly managing costs to reduce the financial burden on our community. This commitment is reflected in our historically at or below-average tax levy increases compared to other districts in Nassau County and across Long Island.

Recently, residents on the Town of Babylon side of Farmingdale Schools experienced a significant increase in their latest tax bills. This increase stems from a formula used by the State to apportion taxes between Nassau County and Town of Babylon residents. Neither the district nor the town is at fault in this matter, as these figures are determined at the State level. Furthermore, the increase does not reflect the budget approved by our residents last spring. The Board of Education and I are deeply concerned and fully committed to supporting our Babylon taxpayers during this challenging time.

Yesterday, I met with Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Shaffer and his team. They have been incredibly supportive and have partnered with us in working toward a resolution for our residents. Together, we are committed to taking meaningful steps to address this issue. I will keep you updated in the coming weeks as we continue our discussions and finalize a plan.

For those seeking more information, I am sharing a document provided by the Town of Babylon that explains the situation in detail. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and remain dedicated to finding a fair solution for everyone involved.

Town Of Babylon Document

Bond Vote

This Tuesday is a significant day for our school and community, as Bond 2025 will be up for a vote. From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Howitt Middle School’s West Gymnasium, voters will have the opportunity to decide on two important propositions. The first proposition focuses on upgrading the electrical and roofing systems at all six schools. The second aims to improve our fine and performing arts facilities and expand the Career and Technical Education Program at Farmingdale High School. I am attaching an abbreviated question-and-answer video that was conducted with our community last night.

Our goal has been to create a forward-thinking plan that best supports our students and community. With the support of our Board and the hard work of our team here in Farmingdale, I believe we have achieved that. Through mailers, our website, and social media we have worked diligently to keep the community well-informed about this initiative. Now, it is in the hands of our community to make their voices heard by voting on Tuesday.

We will share the results as soon as they are available and keep you informed of our next steps. Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important initiative, and I encourage you to visit the polls on Tuesday and cast an informed vote on Bond 2025.

Community Forum: Question and Answer Video