Trustees approve school trip to Ireland for April 2027 after leaders recap Italy tour

Trustees for Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School voted Tuesday to approve an EF Tours student trip to Ireland during April vacation 2027 after lead chaperones and students described the school’s April trip to Italy and how the program will be run going forward.

School leaders said the approved Ireland trip will run 10 days in April 2027, carry an initial roster of 36 student spots and be offered on a payment plan that organizers described as $212 per month for 22 months. The board approved the trip by motion and recorded no dissent during the vote.

Supporters said lessons from the Italy trip informed the Ireland plan. Lead chaperones Mark Levin and Beth told trustees the Italy trip carried about 60 students, used a 6:1 student-to-chaperone ratio, included a district nurse for medical needs and prompted organizers to limit future trips to smaller groups to avoid logistical bottlenecks.

Trustees were told EF Tours included a standard traveler protection program automatically; the base protection cost noted in the presentation was about $190 per person, with an optional higher coverage (described in the presentation as roughly $400–$450) for families wanting broader cancellation protection.

Organizers said the Ireland itinerary will add agricultural and food-industry visits (mushroom farms, shellfish and seaweed farms, chocolate and botanical gardens), and include experiential components such as a sheepdog demonstration and an Irish racehorse stud farm visit. They also described steps to reduce the operational friction that complicated the Italy trip when the school took a larger group.

Board members and presenters discussed cost and accessibility. Organizers said families may use school fundraising, individual campaigns available through EF, and other fundraising channels; they reported the Italy trip’s out-of-pocket student cost for those who attended multiple events averaged about $1,300 per student for the combination of national, state and leadership events described in other parts of the meeting. Presenters said the Ireland trip price is about $4,700 total per traveler, subject to final enrollment and itinerary details.

School leaders acknowledged equity concerns and described mitigation steps: a multi-installment payment plan, use of fundraising to reduce family cost, and a waiting list process that EF will manage if more students apply. Levin and Beth told trustees that if demand exceeds 36 students, EF will run a second, identical tour rather than adding a second bus to avoid service bottlenecks.

The board’s approval allows organizers to open registrations and continue family informational meetings; trustees and staff said they will return to the board if any material itinerary or price changes occur.

A vote to approve the EF Tours Ireland trip passed without recorded opposition.