FLOW Area November 26, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Divided board approves second excused day for teams by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School Board of Education was divided, but ultimately approved a second excused day for the Indian Hills High School softball teams so the athletes would be able to take their annual field trip to the training camp at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Florida. The attendance policy and its accompanying regulation were scheduled to be approved at the Oct. 27 board meet- ing, but more than 50 members of the Indian Hills softball teams, and some of their parents and supporters, attended that meeting and asked the board to change the proposed regulation to allow two excused school days instead of the one permitted by the new regulation, so they could take their overnight trip. The ESPN Sports Complex Camp claims to attract more than 400 teams from across the country and participation in the camp extends from Feb. 19 to April 25, during which time high school teams can participate in various sports at the training camp. The school board tabled any action on the policy and regulation at the Oct. 27 meeting in response to the stu- dents’ request after their parents highlighted the champi- onship records of the softball program at Indian Hills and pointed out that they would have to pay for four days even if the team only stayed for three days. The students and their parents told the school board that the teams cannot practice in the early spring in New Jersey because of the weather, and said the 10 practice games the teams play at the training camp prepare them for the upcoming season, and this preparation is part of the reason the teams have been so successful. At the Nov. 10 meeting, the board approved the pro- posed policy, which states that parents of children between the ages of six and 16 should cause their children to attend school regularly although, for certain reasons, a student’s absence may be excused. The policy states that unexcused absences from school or from classes during the school day may subject a student to consequences that may include the denial of a student’s participation in extracurricular activi- ties or athletic competition. The regulation pertaining to that policy, however, led to a lengthy discussion by the board during which the trustees debated four of its sections which pertained to the number of excused days students could be granted for overnight trips that can be scheduled at the discretion of the coach or advisor with, and without, flexibility in scheduling and which are approved by the administration. Those sections were revised by the board in the follow- ing manner: • A student not present at school because of his or her participation in an approved one day school activity will be considered excused. (continued on page 23)