Board approves winter guard and varsity hockey out-of-area trips

The Batavia City School District board voted to approve two extracurricular travel requests: Potavia Winter Guard plans to travel to regional competitions in Pennsylvania, and the varsity hockey team will attend the BC Classic in Bethlehem, N.Y., over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Jan Melander, director of Potavia Winter Guard, told the board the program aims to attend two regional competitions (including Philadelphia and Bethlehem) this season to keep the group competitive in the WGI circuit. Melander said regional trips would typically require a two-day absence and that performers generally number between 10 and 14. Fundraising and the annual home-show fundraiser, plus some district support, offset costs; chaperones and medical forms are part of the trip planning, Melander said.

Coach Mark Staley asked for permission to take the varsity hockey roster to the BC Classic during Thanksgiving break. Staley said parents travel with players, the district secures hotel blocks at a preferential rate, and players remain under coach supervision when at team events. He said the varsity roster is about 20 players and that the schedule includes roughly 20 games (about half in-section and half out-of-section opponents).

Board members asked follow-up questions about roster makeup and student participation from other districts; Staley said the current roster is Batavia and Notre Dame only and that past out-of-district students have been grandfathered in. Both travel requests were moved and seconded; the board voted "Aye" on each motion.

What happens next: The district will finalize trip logistics with coaches and notify families. No board action on funding increases or time-off from school was recorded in the meeting minutes.