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School committee approves April 2026 student trip to France with home stays and Paris visits
Summary
The Barnstable School Committee approved a 10-day student trip to Saumur and Paris in April 2026, including seven-day host-family stays, two days in Paris and a quoted per-student cost of $2,500–$3,200. Approval was contingent on final legal review.
The Barnstable School Committee on a unanimous vote approved a 10-day student field trip to Saumur in France with two days in Paris in April 2026.
The trip, presented by a member of the district’s foreign language team, would send mostly French III and French IV/AP students to the Loire Valley town of Saumur for a seven-day home stay with French host families, followed by a two-day group visit to Paris and a return to Boston on Sunday, April 12. “The dates are, from April, Friday, April 3 to Sunday, April 12,” the presenter said.
The presenter told the committee the group typically includes 15–20 students and that the most recent price quote from the Promoter Educational Travel Agency ranged from about $2,500 to $3,200 per student depending on final enrollment. The quote covers airfare, lodging, some meals, medical insurance, excursions and in-country transportation.
The presenter described pre-trip preparations: monthly meetings for participating students, research assignments about destinations, parent meetings that collect deposits, and a student conduct contract aligned with the school handbook. She said chaperone staffing is planned at roughly one chaperone per eight students and that many travelers on prior exchanges stay in contact with host families after the trip.
Superintendent Sarah (first name only in the record) told the committee the trip had undergone an initial legal review and asked the committee to approve it contingent on final sign-off by the district’s attorney. “It’s gone through an initial review with Dave. I would ask that you approve contingent upon his final approval,” she said.
A committee member moved approval and the committee voted unanimously to approve the trip as presented. The motion carried after a formal second and a voice vote. The presenter said she and a fellow teacher have run multiple such exchanges over 14 years and that students are selected from French 3 and 4 classes at the high school.
The committee discussion included logistical checks (airline and MCAS schedule conflicts), fundraising plans, and the presenters’ description of safety practices and host-family screening. The committee did not vote to authorize any additional district funding for the trip; cost responsibilities for student travel were described as covered by trip fees and school fundraising.
The committee’s approval is conditioned on final legal review and any administrative steps that follow that review.
The committee record shows the motion, second and unanimous approval; no vote counts were recorded beyond the unanimous voice vote.
