April 4, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 FLOW Area Court hears conduct policy case by Frank J. McMahon A three judge panel of the Appellate Division of Superior Court heard arguments last month on an appeal by the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education of an administrative law judge’s finding that the board’s regulation on offcampus student conduct is unlawful. The matter came before the appellate court because, in September 2010, Administrative Law Judge Richard McGill determined that the school board’s regulation concerning certain conduct away from school grounds was unlawful. McGill found that the regulation, which would withhold extracurricular activities from a student who is formally charged and/or arrested by law enforcement for an alleged violation of the state’s code of criminal justice or applicable municipal ordinances, on or away from school grounds, was outside and in excess of the powers of the school board that are authorized by law and was, therefore, unlawful and unconstitutional and it violated parental rights. The regulation was adopted by the school board in June 2009 and required students to refrain from the use, possession, or distribution of any alcoholic beverage or other drugs, unless prescribed by a physician, both on and off school grounds, during the season or activity in which the student wishes to participate in the extracurricular activity. A violation would occur if a student were formally charged and/or arrested by law enforcement for an alleged violation of the state’s code of criminal justice and/or applicable municipal codes or ordinance provisions. A violation would result in a conference with the student, his/her parents or guardians, and the school administration, after which it would be determined if a violation occurred. If a violation had occurred, the student would be prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities for seven school days, or through the next scheduled (continued on page 13) School budget up; tax levy down At a recent public hearing, the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School Board of Education adopted a $49,986,674 budget for the 2012-13 school year. The budget reflects an increase of $1,028,767, or 2.1 percent, and a tax levy for the calendar year 2012 of $45,642,128, which reflects a decrease of $56,240 or 0.12 percent. The tax impact on the owners of homes with the average assessed value in the three towns that comprise the school district will vary depending on the tax rates of each town. In Franklin Lakes, there will be a 0.0037 cent decrease in the tax rate, which will decrease the regional school tax on a home with the average assessed value of $1,032,343 by $38 to $4,412 for the year. In Oakland, there will be a 0.0089 cent decrease in the tax rate, which will decrease the regional school tax on a home with that town’s average assessed value of $408,000 by $36 to $1,859 for the year. In Wyckoff, there will be a 0.0035 cent increase that will increase the regional school tax on a home with that town’s average assessed value of $811,800 by $28 to $3,071 for the year. The different tax impacts are the result of the complicated method the state uses to allocate the funding of regional school districts. That method is based on the assessed values of the towns and the ratio of students in the district’s elementary and high schools. Appropriations in the budget include $28,058,185 for instruction, an increase of $13,813, or 1.9 percent; $2,138,858 for transportation, a decrease of $528 or 0.02 percent; $3,638145 for administration, an increase of $32,945, or 0.91 percent; $4,906,164 for maintenance and operations, an increase of $176,386, or 3.7 (continued on page 18)