When private yards and public spaces all over Long Island start to turn green and burst into bloom, people smile and breathe a sigh of relief. "Looks like we made it through another winter in good shape." Perhaps May is a good time to look back a bit at the Farmingdale Schools and see what kind of shape we're in.

Statistics may not make the most fascinating reading, but they do tell us something about our schools' successes. Our high school graduation rate is better than 95 percent; 79 percent of those students graduate with Regents Diplomas, and 80 percent go on to college. They leave incredibly well-prepared for their academic futures. When the College Board Advanced Placement tests are offered in May, 30 percent of the senior class and 15 percent of the entire high school population sit for them, having chosen the rigorous academic programs that led to that point. Our students also leave having earned college credits. Through SUNY Farmingdale, 10 percent of our 11th and 12th-graders will start college with advanced status. They join the 38 percent of the seniors who have earned similar credits through C.W. Post College.

This impressive academic achievement starts early in the Farmingdale schools. Farmingdale students score higher across the board than do their statewide counterparts with a greater percentage achieving mastery on the ELA and Math assessments in grades 3-5 and 6-9 and on the Science assessments in grades 4-8. Their scores are consistently on par with the rest of Nassau County students.

But it is not all about numbers. Farmingdale Schools nurture all sorts of interests. We have a long proud athletic history. This past year, all 28 boys' and girls' varsity athletic teams were named Scholar-Athlete teams, and the girls' Swimming and Diving team was named Scholar-Athlete State Champions for the second consecutive year. Over 20 co-curricular groups take on social and environmental issues, create music and art and theatre, build structures to beautify the community, produce award-winning publications, and participate in academic competitions. This year, the high school Global Issues class organized Farmingdale's first ever Earth Day celebration. Our students vie for membership in nine Honor Societies and spots on four competitive academic teams.

These students interact every day with a dedicated faculty, people who come here to build a career - and often build a home. Eighty-four active Farmingdale teachers live in this community as do 45 retired teachers who spent their careers here. They work here; their children go to school here. They are tightly woven into the fabric of this community.

So, as we look around this spring, we can look at our schools with satisfaction and pride. Mostly, all of us, teachers, students, and parents, can be proud to be part of a community that values and supports the outstanding educational system here in Farmingdale. With that continued level of commitment, we can look forward with confidence that future Farmingdale students will have the same opportunities and reach the same heights as those who came before them.