Board approves O'Plaine international field trip to Peru for spring break 2027

At its Sept. 23 meeting the Warren Township High School District 121 board approved an international spring-break field trip to Peru for March 2027. Social studies teacher Tim Van Lanningham presented details of the nine-day itinerary, saying the trip would visit Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and would include flights, hotels, two meals per day, entrance fees and tour directors. Van Lanningham told the board the trip cost is just over $4,500 per traveler; when spread over monthly payments the program averages about $250 per month given the roughly 18-month enrollment window Van Lanningham said the program provides. He said EF Tours would provide travel insurance that the group would require. Van Lanningham said the group typically secures one chaperone per six travelers and expects roughly 30 to 40 participants. He said the district's long lead time for approval makes the monthly payment plan possible. Board members asked about financial-access options for families; Van Lanningham said EF Tours provides a fundraising/donation link that students can share and that some families pursue private fundraising, but he said district-wide fundraising rarely moves the needle substantially for individual families. The board voted by roll call to approve the field trip; the motion passed unanimously among members present.