Groton-Dunstable teachers propose student art trip to France and Spain; committee asks for wider outreach and accessibility details

An art teacher at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School proposed an arts-focused international trip to France and Spain for students, describing an itinerary of museum visits, an art class in Barcelona and a visit to Monet's garden in Giverny. The committee asked for broader outreach to the high school population, more detail on fundraising and discounts, and clarity about accommodations for travelers with disabilities before deciding whether to approve the trip.

The teacher said she selected the Artists of France and Spain itinerary after polling students involved in portfolio, AP art, art club and Art Honor Society, and that about 22 students have actively participated in meetings and surveys. She said the district’s customary vendor, EF Educational Tours, was chosen by vote of interested students because it offered a longer program at lower cost, with a $100 discount if deposits are made by the end of the school year. She said initial planning assumes two to three chaperones and that the group would be combined with travelers from other schools for some activities.

Committee members raised several concerns: how the opportunity was publicized, whether all interested students (including those not already in arts programs) had a realistic chance to learn about and join the trip, and how students with disabilities would be accommodated. The teacher said she had emailed students in art-specific classes first and then spread word into other classes; she said she would not refuse any student who expressed a sincere interest but that she wanted the trip to be arts-focused. On accommodations, she said the vendor provides traveler-protection coverage included in the trip price and indicated families and the vendor would coordinate on any required accommodations, but she also read vendor language noting that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply abroad and that some service providers may lack infrastructure for certain equipment.

Committee members also asked about vendor protections after pandemic-related cancellations in prior years. The teacher said the vendor now includes travel-protection for each traveler and she would collect more details about refunds, insurance and the vendor’s contingency policies. Members asked that the teacher expand outreach — for example, a principal weekly update or district-wide notice and a survey — so students who are not already in core art classes have an opportunity to participate. Several members suggested compiling a short list of questions for the vendor (cost timeline, refund/insurance details, accommodation procedures, scholarship or scholarship-distribution rules) and circulating them so the vendor could respond directly.

The committee did not vote on the trip. Members asked the teacher to return to a future meeting with clarified paperwork, vendor responses and broader outreach evidence; several suggested bringing the item back at the April 30 meeting or providing materials by email if she could not attend. The teacher agreed to prepare answers and documentation, including fundraising plans, scholarship/discount details, and the vendor’s written accommodation and cancellation policies.

An arts-oriented international trip remains under consideration; the committee requested more detailed documentation and wider student notification before any approval vote.