Midland Park December 12, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 No additional teams will be added to the middle school basketball program in Midland Park this year. The school administration has decided to field just one team each for boys and girls as had been originally budgeted. Cuts will be made accordingly to reach reasonably-sized rosters, said Board President William Sullivan. Last month Athletic Director Peter Galasso told the board cuts would have to be instituted unless a team were added for each gender. He said 31 girls and 24 boys, respectively, had signed up for teams, which usually have no more than 12 to 15 players each to allow for adequate participation. The district has traditionally followed a no-cut policy. Reached after the meeting, Galasso said several factors went into the decision, including budgetary and facilities limitations and the fact that there are other community programs available to the students. Additionally, a cut program, which would be on par with other middle school athletic programs, allows students to be successful at a high Middle school will field just two basketball teams level of competition and helps development of the high school basketball program, he said. Tryouts, which will begin Thursday, are being scheduled over several days before a decision is made as to which players to cut. Galasso said a meeting was held Monday with the students who signed up to explain the process and encourage them to come out and give it their best. The AD said two coaches will be evaluating each program: 7/8 grade girls coach and the varsity girls coach will evaluate the girls program and 7/8 grade boys coach and the varsity boys coach will evaluate the boys program. They will follow an evaluation rubric developed based on certain fundamental skills relative to basketball and fair play. At the board meeting, Theresa Sasso, whose daughter is in the eighth grade, had asked what criteria would be used in determining who makes the team. Sasso had urged the board at a previous meeting to split the players who had signed up into two teams so everyone could play. Board members had expressed concern about the additional cost, availability of facilities and an inability to find opponents for a second schedule if two teams were created for each program. Galasso had estimated that splitting the original registrants into A/B squads for each the boys and the girls would require hiring two new coaches, new uniforms, securing more games and gym time for the additional practices, and games and transportation to the away games. He estimated the total additional cost at $6,000 to $7,000. Midland Park public school students will be making up in April three school days lost due Hurricane Sandy. In all the schools were closed for eight days in the aftermath of the storm, and Governor Christie has made it clear that no reduction is the number of required days would be forthcoming, school officials said. The state requires 180 school days, but the Midland Park school calendar includes 183 teaching days as per contract with the teachers’ union. The board of education last week voted unanimously to (continued on page 8) Three days cut from April break