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Committee approves three student field trips, sends them to full board
Summary
The Instruction and Support Services Committee voted to send three overnight student field trips to the full Bridgeport School Board for final approval: High Horizons to Washington, D.C.; Discovery Magnet to the Outdoor Classroom in Lakeside, Conn.; and an overnight Discovery Magnet trip to Washington, D.C.
The Bridgeport School District Instruction and Support Services Committee voted to forward three overnight student field trips to the full board on March 26.
The committee approved a High Horizons Middle School out-of-state trip to Washington, D.C., June 3through 6, 2025; a Discovery Magnet Schools multi-day trip to the Outdoor Classroom (formerly Nature's Classroom) in Lakeside, Connecticut, May 14through 16, 2025; and an overnight Discovery Magnet School trip to Washington, D.C., in May 2025. Committee Chair Rob Traver moved one of the motions; members recorded the approvals by voice vote.
Why it matters: The votes authorize the district to send the items to the full board for final sign-off and document basic safety, supervision and budgeting details the committee reviewed.
High Horizons principal Francine Carbone described the High Horizons itinerary, security and supervision plans. Carbone said the trip will run four days and three nights, that students will visit the U.S. Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian museums, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and other sites, and that chaperone and hotel security measures are in place. Carbone said students will be housed four to a hotel room, with a security guard coordinating with the lead chaperone each night. "Safety and security is my primary concern when students are out of my vision and sight during the school day," Carbone said.
Discovery Magnet's Overnight (Outdoor Classroom) presentation came from Alicia Gadsett, a Discovery science teacher. Gadsett said the trip to the Outdoor Classroom in Lakeside, Connecticut, runs May 14to 16, 2025. She said the trip historically focuses on environmental education, team-building and experiential science; the cost is $331 per student, reduced by fundraising to $260 per student. Gadsett described cabin arrangements, on-site medical personnel and a separate family packet that collects medication and routine information.
A separate Discovery Magnet trip to Washington, D.C., presented later in the meeting, was described as an eighth-grade-only trip. The presenter described a packed itinerary including the Holocaust Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Arlington National Cemetery, monument tours and possible visits to the U.S. Capitol and Mount Vernon. The group will travel with security support and a private transport company that remains with students throughout the trip, the presenter said.
Committee action: A motion to approve each trip and send it to the full board carried by voice vote. Committee members verbally indicated their support during roll call; the committee chair called the motion "made, seconded, and passed." The committee did not adopt any amendments to the trip plans during the discussion.
What comes next: These items will appear on a future full-board agenda for final approval. The district will continue to collect family permission packets, medication forms, and the individual student safety and emergency information required for travel.
