In 1814, the Hardscrabble school district was formed, which later became known as the Farmingdale School District. In 1850, the school district built a two-story wooden building on Main Street, which housed students through eighth grade. In 1864, Farmingdale became part of the Joint School District No. 22 and then in 1892, Farmingdale became the Union Free School District No. 8, switching numbers with Huntington School District. In 1894, the school district’s number was changed back to 22 when it switched back with Huntington. This same year, when the eighth-grade graduation took place in the Music Hall, only four students graduated from the Farmingdale School District. In 1896, the schoolhouse became too crowded, so the school was forced to use space in a building across the street to hold classes.
Eventually, the schoolhouse on Main Street was replaced by a brick building in 1912, paving the way for the district to expand. This brick building became known as the Main Street School. A year later, the district grew to include grades 9-12. Four years later in 1917, the first graduating class—all of two students—of Farmingdale High School received their diplomas. This same year, classes again were overcrowded, and a store and parish hall were used to hold lessons for students.
When Weldon Howitt arrived in 1919, he purchased the Kolkebeck property, which included three and a half acres of land. The land included a house and barn which were remodeled into classrooms. In 1922, a middle building was added to the structure. A third portion, the north building, was then added in 1929 to meet the need for more space again. Many improvements were made to the school in the following years. Classes such as Shop and Home Economics began to be taught and labs were added for the Physics classes. Before the new building, there was no cafeteria and students ate in the basement of the school. Some of the teachers would gather and play instruments during lunchtime for the students. The school also added a nurse’s office, a slide, a sandbox, and a handball court. When the north building was added, it provided facilities for the high school students, including science labs, a library, a large auditorium, and a gymnasium. By 1937, Farmingdale High School graduated 82 students.
By 1950, the school was crowded yet again. Corridors were used as classrooms and some classes were being held outside. This led the school district to inquire about more space again, but instead of an addition to the current building, this time it led to the creation of an additional school building.
In 1953, Farmingdale High School opened to meet the need for more space. In October of 1953, the school district dedicated the high school to Weldon E. Howitt for his dedication to the district and its pupils. The new high school cost approximately $2,750,000 and was on a 23-acre plot in the center of the village. The new high school opened on September 9, 1953, with 1,135 students enrolled and consisted of grades 7 through 12. This school was on the site of the Nazareth Trade School.
The same year as the new high school opening, the school district held a vote to acquire more property to continue expanding the school district. At the vote to be held on March 28, 1953, the district was asking the town to pass a few propositions. The first proposition was for two elementary schools to be completed by September 1, 1954, to meet the needs of the expanding and booming community. These two schools were to be located on Carmans Road in East Farmingdale and at Woodward Parkway and Spielman Avenue in South Farmingdale. The first school on Carmans Road would cost approximately $1,000,000 and would consist of 20 classrooms. The second school on Woodward Parkway would cost approximately $1,500,000 and consist of 32 classrooms. In addition to the school sites, they were also asking for property to be purchased as well. For $75,000, 15 Acres would be added to the school site in East Farmingdale and for $40,000, 5 acres would be purchased for the school site in South Farmingdale. These two school constructions, as well as the land purchase, would cost the community a total of $2,615,000. The second proposition was for a 15-acre site at Merritts Road and the Long Island Railroad in the western part of Farmingdale for $97,000 and they requested this property be used and built on by 1956 for an additional school. The third proposition was for two 12-acre sites. The first was located on Carmans Road near the Southern State Parkway for $75,000, and the second was located near Broadway and the Southern State Parkway for $62,000. They requested that these two sites be used and built on by 1958 for additional schools. The vote was held and the voters in the district approved all propositions, except for the site on Merritts Road.
In 1955, Woodward Parkway elementary school and East Farmingdale Memorial elementary school (better known as East Memorial) were completed and began classes in September. Due to the expansion of the district through these additional elementary schools, 3,125 elementary students were able to enroll and have the opportunity to go for full day sessions. In previous years, elementary students were split into two sessions with one being in the morning and one being in the afternoon.
In 1957, Albany Avenue elementary school and Parkway Oaks elementary school were opened. The school district began that year on September 9, with these two new additions. Albany Avenue was planned for 1,080 students and consisted of 33 general classrooms, three kindergarten rooms, a library, two faculty rooms, an administrative suite, health offices, a general-purpose room/cafeteria with a stage, and a two-station gymnasium with locker rooms and folding bleachers. Parkway Oaks was planned for 1,050 students and consisted of approximately the same facilities as Albany Avenue, but with one less classroom and only one faculty room. These two brand new schools cost the district approximately $3,350,802. Even though the elementary level schools were constantly expanding, Weldon E. Howitt was still the only school for grades 7 through 12, which meant the building was being shared. The high school students used the building in the morning, while the junior high school students used the building in the afternoon.
In 1958, the school board held a vote to begin progress towards a new high school. They wanted to purchase a site that would cost a maximum of $375,000, which was approved and plans were underway for a 2,300 pupil high school on a 33 acre site. The plans for the building were for a two-story high structure, with the exception of the industrial arts section which will only be one story. The building would house 37 regular classrooms, 13 special science rooms, a 200 student lecture room which could accommodate very large groups, an auditorium that would hold 1,000 students, and a gym built to state requirements, which would enable five class groups to be taking physical education simultaneously. This new building would be solely used for the high school, allowing the middle school students to take over their current school. The proposed cost for this school was $5,891,000.
In 1961, September 6 was the first day of school for the district and Superintendent Thomas W. Guilford claimed that this would be an “outstanding year in the education history of the Farmingdale School District”. This school year had 11,270 students enrolled across all schools and 863 employees. This would also be the first year in 10 years that all schools were on a single session. At this point, the district consisted of six elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one high school. The school district’s enrollment numbers were as followed: High School 2,324, Howitt Junior High School 1,192, Mill Lane Junior High School 1,177, Albany Avenue 1,073, East Memorial 1,196, Main Street School 1,356, Northside 795, Parkway Oaks 999, and Woodward Parkway 1,158.
The district continued making changes to the school buildings. In 1961, all classes in the south wing of the Main Street School were moved to other locations in the building and the south wing was torn down due to structural defects found by an engineering study. In 1966, the last new school building opened, which was the West Building of the Weldon E. Howitt Middle School.
With a decline in numbers of students in district 22, some more changes were made to the schools in the district. As of 1972, the Main Street School was not being used by the district and the building was being leased to BOCES. In 1977, Parkway Oaks Elementary School closed and was available for purchase. The school was eventually torn down and is now the location of the Cameo at Massapequa Condominiums. Also, in 1977, the Main Street School was sold and then eventually demolished in 1980. In 1980, Mill Lane Junior High School closed and all students attending Junior High School were sent to Weldon E. Howitt Junior High School. By February of 1981, the district also sold East Memorial school and the elementary school was moved to the building on Mill Lane. East Memorial was sold for approximately $1,400,000. In 1999, the board of education and trustees decided to change the name of Mill Lane Elementary School. In 2000, the school was renamed Stanley D. Saltzman East Memorial Elementary School in honor of the school’s principal who had recently passed, and before becoming principal, Saltzman was a teacher at East Memorial for 34 years.
With all of these changes, the district now consists of four elementary schools, one junior high school, and one high school. The four remaining elementary schools are Woodward Parkway, Stanley D. Saltzman East Memorial, Albany Avenue, and Northside. The school district expanded its facilities at Weldon E. Howitt Junior High School by adding a sports complex which was completed in 2018 and cost the district $36,000,000.
Sources:
“All-Time High Enrollment As Schools Open.” Farmingdale Post. September 10, 1953
Amchin, Jess. "Main Street School." Research paper for the Junior Historical Association. 1969
"As Main Street School Comes Down: 'Ghost Writer' Offers a Final Farewell." Farmingdale
Post. February 21, 1980
"Board of Education sells Main St. School." Farmingdale Post. October 6, 1977
Cocco, Marie. “Board Oks Deal to Sell School to Developer.” Newsday. February 4, 1981
"Committee Proposes to Retain Main Street School." Farmingdale Post. March 9, 1972
“District 22 School Board Distributes Plans For New Senior High School Building.”
Farmingdale Post. October 29, 1958.
“District 22 Voters Approve School, Sites.” Farmingdale Post. April 2, 1953
“Farm’dale Dedicates New H.S. Sunday; Named for W. Howitt.” Farmingdale Post. October 15,
1953
“Farmingdale Seeks Buyer for School.” Newsday. March 13, 1980
“Full Time Education For District 11.” Farmingdale Post. August 31, 1961
“New 2 ¾ Million Farmingdale High Named For Principal.” The Long-Islander. October 29,
1953
“New Schools Open Sept. 9.” Farmingdale Post. September 4, 1957
“Plans Now Underway for New High School.” Farmingdale Post. June 11, 1958.
“School Renamed for Principal.” Newsday. September 20, 1999
“$3,000,000 Proposition For New Schools, Sites Faces Voters March 28.” Farmingdale Post.
March 5, 1953
“3125 – Count ‘Em – 3125.” Farmingdale Post. September 7, 1955
“To Vote On $1,450,000 Expansion Plan July 2.” Farmingdale Post. June 4, 1958
The Little Red Schoolhouse had just one room. It was on the south side of Conklin Street, just east of the junction of Fulton and Conklin. When Main Street School was built, the schoolhouse was moved to Elizabeth Street and re-named Progress Hall. It was used for athletics, games, and dances for the community. It later became a laundromat.
Source:
Notes from Dolores McAfee
In 1896, classes were so over-populated that some had to be held in a building across the street. In 1912, the wood building was torn down and replaced by a brick one. In 1917, the classes again were over-crowded and a store and Parish hall were used to hold lessons.
When Weldon Howitt arrived in 1919, he bought the Kolkebeck property, which included three and a half acres. The house and barn were remodeled into classrooms. In 1922, a middle building was added. A third portion, the north building, was added in 1929.
Many improvements were made to the school in the following years. Classes such as shop and home economics began to be taught and labs were added for Physics classes. Before the new building, there was no cafeteria; the students ate in the basement. Some of the teachers would gather and play instruments during lunchtime. The school also added a nurse’s office, a slide, a sandbox, and a handball court.
When the north building was added, it provided facilities for high school students which included science labs, a library, a large auditorium, and a gym.
By 1950, the school was once more overcrowded. Corridors were used as classrooms and some classes were held outside. In 1953, Weldon E. Howitt High School opened to make room. An engineering study was conducted that stated the south wing of the school had structural defects and all classes in that wing moved out in 1961 and that section was torn down. As of 1972, the school was not being used by the school district and the building was leased to BOCES. In 1977, the Board of Education sold the property. The rest of the building was torn down in 1980.
Sources:
Amchin, Jess. "Main Street School." Research paper for the Junior Historical Association. 1969
"As Main Street School Comes Down: 'Ghost Writer' Offers a Final Farewell." Farmingdale Post. February 21, 1980
"Board of Education sells Main St. School." Farmingdale Post. October 6, 1977
"Committee Proposes to Retain Main Street School." Farmingdale Post. March 9, 1972
In 1900, the Dominican Sisters opened the Nazareth Trade School as a home and school for underprivileged, orphan and wayward boys. This building could house and educate about 500 boys at a time. In addition to the required school subjects, the boys were taught baking, shoemaking, printing and other trades.
There was a 70 piece band with Father Joseph as the band leader. He gave instructions on the piano, violin, clarinet and drums. A familiar sight to the older residents of Farmingdale was these 500 boys dressed in blue and white marching in the Decoration Day parade, led by their own band.
For Christmas, they got a shoebox of cakes, fruit, and boiled eggs. Every two years, they got new clothes and shoes. During the summer, they had to be in the classrooms where they played games all day. Their chores were peeling potatoes by the tubful or washing 500 towels in a tub.
In 1940, when the courts decided to place children into foster care rather than a children’s home, the numbers dwindled and the home closed down. During World War II the army took over the building and grounds for use as a training center for the air force.
On June 18, 1946, at a Special District Meeting, School District No. 22 voted to purchase the Nazareth Trade School Property of 21,884 acres for $100,000 to be used as a site for a new school building.
It was an important part of the development of Farmingdale State College. Under the direction of College President Halsey B. Knapp, the college would adapt to the war-time and post-war environment by working to develop the Industrial-Technical division.
In order to accommodate the Industrial-Technical Division, the college would need to find a space that could house the program and its students. The Nazareth Trade School was chosen by Knapp to be the temporary home for the Industrial-Technical Division until the institution could construct facilities on the main campus. It was rented to the college in 1946.
In 1952, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for Howitt High School. The high school opened in October, 1953. It eventually became Howitt Middle School.
Sources:
“Nazareth.” Nazareth, www.farmingdale.edu/library/college-archives/nazareth/index.shtml.
Oral history with James McKenna
Updated NK 6/23
In 1850, a larger school was needed. A two story wooden school with four rooms was built. It had two rooms on each floor separated by sliding doors. It was built on the south side of the property where Main Street school would be built.
In 1893, the County Clerk notified all parents in the district that the law required them to send their children to school. Non-residents had to be $7.50 in tuition.
On June 21, 1894, Farmingdale graduated its first class. The class consisted of four eighth graders. The graduates were : Mary Doud, C. Fred Yerrington. Berta Harris. and Catherine M. A. Quinn. By 1896, this school became overcrowded.
The school was sold and four homes on Nelson Street were constructed from it.
Source:
Notes from Dolores McAfee