Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • October 6, 2010 FLOW Area Enrollment will determine fate of University Programs by Frank J. McMahon The Education Committee of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education has recommended that the school board take no action at this time regarding the modification of three University Programs from their current exclusionary/four-year commitment structure. The committee further recommended that the modification take place beginning in the 2011-12 academic year, unless the enrollment in those programs meets certain thresholds. The three University Programs being considered for modification are information technology, theater arts, and communications. The Education Committee includes trustees Jane Castor, who is the committee chairperson, Ira Belsky, Sadie Quinlan, and School Board President Wayne Peterson as an exofficio member. The committee issued an open letter to the University Program community, advising them of the decision to await the results of the application process to determine how to proceed in 2011-12 and beyond. The letter explained that these programs will continue on the current exclusionary/ four-year commitment basis based on enrollment. Specifically, the committee recommends that if 18 or more freshmen enroll in any of these programs, or alternatively, if the students enrolled in a program, including incoming freshmen, total at least 60 students by Aug. 15, 2011, that program should continue on a restricted basis as currently provided. If, however, enrollment in any of these three programs falls below both of these thresholds, then the course offerings in that program for this entering class should be made available to all students on a non-restricted basis as is done with most other electives. The committee also recommends that, even if one of these thresholds is satisfied, and any or all of these programs is continued on an exclusionary basis for the entering freshman class, that each freshman enrollee be informed that the district may not continue the program in its current exclusionary form during the full four years beginning with 2011-12 if the then freshman members of the program decrease materially during the years of the program, or if follow-on classes do not also continue to meet the enrollment thresholds. Each of the programs will be evaluated on its own basis, but the committee emphasized that the last class to be guaranteed a four-year exclusionary program is this year’s freshman class, regardless of class size. “The members of the committee believe that selective and exclusionary programs that have a meaningful number of students on a regular and continuing basis are worthy of continued support in their current form,” the letter states. “However, they are mindful of the long history of limited and declining enrollments in the three programs in question and think that the district should not be committed to continuing their classes on an exclusionary basis simply because an extraordinary effort this year, given the great interest that has developed in the community, produces an atypically large class for the coming year. The committee recommends that the district be prepared to be flexible, but continues to believe that the reasoning set forth in this letter and its previous report should guide the ultimate decisions on this matter.” The committee is also encouraging the district’s administration to ensure an expanded education and information effort in this year’s Open Houses, which are scheduled for Oct. 19 for the Indian Hills High School University Pro- grams and for Oct. 28 for the Ramapo High School University Programs. Recently, more than 75 parents and students attended a board of education meeting to voice their support for the regional high school’s University Programs and asked the board to keep the programs intact, at least for another year, and to aggressively market the programs to eighth grade students who will be entering the district next year. In its open letter, the Education Committee emphasized that the voices raised in opposition to the committee’s original recommendation to phase out the exclusive nature of the programs have not fallen on deaf ears. “The articulate remarks of parents and the passionate eloquence of students, both past and present, are not lost on any of us,” the letter states. The letter says those remarks speak volumes for the benefits of the University Programs being considered for change, and the committee members are proud and delighted that there is such pride, enthusiasm, and support for those programs. “Nothing provides us with a greater sense of accomplishment as a district than to see members of our school community be so outspoken about the benefits that have been derived from these programs, and the successes that students participating in them have enjoyed,” the letter states. The complete text of the open letter can be viewed at http://www.rih.org. 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