High School Calendar Changes Complicate Wrestlers' Plans

A move to adjust the high school school calendar after the school was without power and used three snow-days in November following a snowstorm caused the cancellation of wrestling practices and moved a tournament.

But at Monday's meeting, some Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education members wondered whether or not the move was justified by the savings.

According to a discussion about communication between wrestling Head Coach Da Smith and Business Adminstrator Timothy Stys, the westling team was forced to cancel two practice sessions planned for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve because of added costs arising after the calendar change.

Additionally, a Dec. 30 tournament scheduled to be hosted by Watchung Hills was moved out of the area.

Stys said the calendar change meant the school would be closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, and to open it for the practices would cost as much as $2,500 in salaries for two buildings and grounds workers required. He said the employees would be paid time-and-a-half for the days, and since no other activities were scheduled on the days, the school administration recommended not holding th practices.

The board changed the New Year's holiday from Jan. 2 to Dec. 30, also, so holding activities at the school on the new holiday date would require paying employees double time. The tournament originally scheduled for Watchung Hills has been moved to St. Augustine Prep in Kendall Park.

The decisions didn't sit well with board members Gerry Binder or Peter Falazarano, who challenged the cost of opening the school.

"It doesn't only affect the wrestling—the basketball team could practice," he said, but board President Robert Horowitz noted the wrestling team was the only team requesting practice time.

Falzarano said if the practices were limited to three hours, then the cost for the employees would be less than the estimates Stys provided.

Binder noted the loss of revenue from moving the tournament, as well as the added transportation costs, may mean little savings for the district.

"Hosting a tournament—that's a good thing to me," he said. "This whole thing sounds like it was not well-choreographed."