April 16, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 FLOW Area High school trustees: Laptop program is success by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District has reported that the initial phase of the 1:1 Laptop computer program has been successful. At a recent board of education meet- ing, Frank Ceurvels, the district business administrator, reported that only 30 of the 1,220 students at the Indian Hills High School opted out of the program, and 17 of those students are seniors. “That’s a 97.5 percent compliance,” Ceurvels said. Compliance at Ramapo High School, Ceurvels said, is 98 percent. At that school, 20 of the 1,088 students opted out, and 16 of those students are seniors. “The initial phase has been successful,” the administrator said. “We’re very happy. We couldn’t ask for better numbers.” Asked by a Wyckoff resident why some students opted out of the program, Interim Superintendent Ernest Palestis said it is hard to speculate as to the reasons, but it is a new program and there might have been some reservations about it and some con- cern about insurance coverage. Students who opt out of the laptop pro- gram will get a laptop computer to use during the school day by signing in the morning to get an older MacBook model and then returning it at the end of the school day. Ceurvels also reported that he has been able to dispose of the district’s old com- puter equipment, some that was still good and some that was not, to a buyer who agreed to pick up the old items and dis- card equipment that does not meet industry standards. “That’s really a great thing,” he said. When the 1:1 program was first sug- gested, some parents, and the RIHEA, which represents district teachers, voiced concern about the potential cost of the lap- tops and the program’s impact on teachers. Visits were made to school districts that had already implemented laptop programs to learn about their use of the laptops, and community meetings were held to explain the program, its use in other school dis- tricts, and how it would be used at Ramapo Indian Hills. Over time, most of concerns were allayed and, in September 2013, the school dis- trict’s board of education determined that it was necessary and advisable to acquire personal computers, servers, and network equipment to implement the district’s 1:1 Wireless Laptop Initiative Program. The school board passed a resolution directing that 2,500 MacBook Air 13-inch laptop computers and 180 iPads with related equipment be purchased from Apple, Inc. for use by all the students in the district who would use them in school and at home after school during the academic year. Garrett announces 2014 service academy nominees Congressman Scott Garrett (NJ-05) has announced the nomination of Timo- thy Wolfangel and Michael Guerci, both residents of Franklin Lakes, to the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. Wolfangel is a student at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey and Guerci attends Fork Union Military Academy. These young men, along with the other District 5 nominees, were honored by the congressman at a recent ceremony at Ramapo College in Mahwah. “It is an honor to nominate this outstand- ing group of young men and women to our nation’s prestigious military academies,” Garrett commented at the nomination cere- mony. “Their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to service make them worthy of becoming future leaders in our nation’s armed forces. I wish the nominees all the best as they continue with the application process.” Applications to the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Acad- emy, and the Merchant Marine Academy require a nomination by a congressper- son or senator, however, the congressional Michael Guerci and Congressman Scott Gar- rett (NJ-05) nomination does not guarantee acceptance. To assist with the nomination process, Congressman Garrett assembled military and civic leaders who interviewed poten- tial nominees, reviewed their applications, and made recommendations to the con- gressman.