Proposition Two Passes, Dispersing $4 Million in Funds
On May 18 voters approved the Farmingdale School District’s budget with a 1.96 percent tax levy increase. The passed budget is a 3.27 percent increase over the 2009/10 budget. The budget received 2,121 yes votes and 1,610 no votes.
The passed budget for 2010/11 is $148,954,370. The 2009/10 budget was $144,244,743.
Russ Catanzaro and Tina Diamond, both running unopposed, were re-elected to three-year terms as school board trustees, with Catanzaro receiving 2,156 votes and Diamond receiving 2,138 votes.
Farmingdale voters also passed Proposition Two, which asked to disperse $4 million in capital reserve funds to pay for new windows at Farmingdale High School.
The proposition received 2,415 votes in favor and 1,247 votes in opposition, thus passing the proposition allowing the district to use those capital reserve funds.
Work at the high school is tentatively set to begin in August and estimated to take one year to complete. District architects estimated the project to cost $4,085,543 but expenses vary and the district could end up paying less or more, Assistant Superintendent for Business Paul Defendini said.
According to Defendini, last May, voters passed a proposition to establish a reserve account for capital projects. This year’s Proposition Two requested the disbursement of those funds for the capital project at the high school.
Voters also passed Proposition Three for the Farmingdale Youth Council Budget. That proposition received 2,306 yes and 1,333 no votes.
