School reconsiders canceled field trip
Toolbox
By PATRICIA MINICHIELLO STAFF WRITER - Published: November 20, 2009
A field trip canceled last year at Rutland Town School due to an uncertain economy and budget constraints, was revitalized this year by a group of parents determined to give children a chance to visit Washington, D.C.
Russell Schoengarth, parent of a seventh-grader, led the charge, approaching school officials with a proposal from Vermont Green Mountain Tours to take eighth-graders to D.C. in 2011.
"I think there's a lot of value from this tour-based trip," Schoengarth said at the latest School Board meeting, explaining that a survey of parents at the end of last year revealed "the overwhelming support was for the Washington, D.C., trip."
Schoengarth said the trip would be in lieu of the traditional eighth-grade trip to Cape Cod, a move teachers in the eighth grade did not support.
"We do not have any commitments from the teachers," said Principal Pati Beaumont, during the discussion. "I think they want to support the Cape trip."
School Board members voiced concerns about teachers not being involved in the trip, but Beaumont assured the board that either she or Assistant Principal Larry Sims would commit to the trip.
The discussion continued with parents upset that the board was not moving quickly to approve the trip.
"You folks are the ones who canceled it. We have put a lot of time into (organizing) this trip," said one parent in the crowd.
"It's disappointing that this trip got taken away from my son," said another woman.
Stacy Chapman, chairman of the board, suggested taking two weeks to digest the proposal, talk to teachers about cooperation and ensure proper liability insurance is available for the trip.
But, parents — unhappy with the idea of waiting — said the lag time would jeopardize fundraisers planned.
In the end, board member Jim Levins motioned to approve the trips under three conditions including proper insurance for the trips, confirmation of staff or teacher involvement and assurance that the educational component is valuable. The motion passed by a vote of 2 to 1.
Other schools in Rutland County have also been scaling back on trips, although no cancellations have been made this school year.
"Barstow made some changes that are in part due to financials. They are finding that multiple day trips — three nights or four nights — to Washington, D.C., or New York City for staff was becoming a challenge," said John Castle, superintendent of Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union. He said they did not cancel the trips, but are looking at shifting parts of the trips, possibly shrinking the number of days and refocusing the trips.
"Partly there is a concern about the volume of fundraising that needs to occur," Castle said, adding that Barstow officials are sensitive to the burden of family contributions as well.
He said the school is also reconsidering the format to ensure a strong tie between the trips and educational curriculum.
Mary Moran, superintendent of Rutland City School District, said high school students have taken a hiatus from international travel, but no trips have been canceled.
"There weren't trips that were planned that were canceled, we just didn't do an international trip last spring and we don't anticipate doing one this spring," Moran said.
Moran said instead of traveling to Europe, YES plan students will typically go to Maine, Boston or New York.
She also said that this year, administrators are asking teachers to think economically when planning trips.
"We asked all of our folks to think about use of fuel or if there is a closer destination that would have the same educational value, those kinds of things," Moran said.
As far as schools in the Rutland South Supervisory Union — including Clarendon, Mill River, Shrewsbury and Wallingford — Superintendent Walter Goetz said Tuesday no field trips have been canceled. No trips have been cancelled in the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union either, according to Superintendent Joan Paustian.
patricia.minichiello@rutlandherald.com
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