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School committee approves updated international trip waiver after attorney review; vote 4-1
Summary
The committee voted to suspend policy and approve a revised parent/student waiver for upcoming overnight international field trips after town counsel described updates to risk and medical consent language.
The North Andover School Committee voted to suspend its rule requiring a second read and approved an updated waiver form for overnight international student travel, clearing the way for parents and students to sign the revised document before spring-break trips.
Why it matters: The new waiver updates medical-authority language, warns parents about immigration and re-entry risks that have changed in recent months, and reintroduces rescheduling and cancellation language. Town counsel and the high school—s head of schools said the form tracks widely used university waivers and is intended to inform families while protecting the district when it offers international travel.
What the committee heard: Attorney O—Connor, representing town counsel, said the updated waiver "alerts both students and their parents as to the inherent, risks, associated with travel" and that it "gives them more notice as to the types of things that they might encounter and encourages them to, again, really take a look at what the government now has out on, you know, immigration requirements." She said the form includes a medical authorization similar to prior forms and a release of liability and indemnification.
Committee action: After discussion about re-signing previously distributed forms and whether notarization should be required, the committee first voted to suspend rules to consider the item on first read and then voted to accept the form as presented. The final recorded vote on accepting the waivers was 4 in favor, 1 opposed; the dissenting vote cited ongoing liability concerns.
Implementation notes: The district asked parents and adult students to sign the updated waiver for trips scheduled over April break. Committee members discussed creating notary access at the central office or scheduling notary nights at the high school for families requiring notarization in future years. Attorney O—Connor said the administration is also drafting broader travel policies (chaperone criteria and additional domestic consent forms) that will return to the committee for review.
Next steps: The head of schools will collect signed updated waivers prior to April travel; the central office will explore notary availability.
