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School board approves two overnight trips and asks policy committee to clarify overnight rules
Summary
The Superior School District board approved two overnight field-trip requests — an eighth-grade Washington, D.C./New York trip and a high-school release trip — and directed a policy review to clarify approvals, athletic protocols and adult-to-student supervision requirements.
The Superior School District Board of Education voted May 12 to approve two overnight field trips and asked the district’s policy committee to review the overnight‑trip policy, particularly how athletics and co‑curricular groups are treated.
The board approved an overnight trip request from Michael Hart for eighth‑grade students to visit Washington, D.C., and New York City over spring break 2027. The meeting record shows a motion, a second and an oral vote of “aye” with the chair announcing “motion carries.” The board later approved an overnight request from Leah Herman Gunderson for students in grades 9–12 to attend a release event in June 2026 with the same procedural outcome.
During discussion, a board member said district practice varies and noted that of 27 coordinators polled by staff member Mike, 20 required board approval for overnight trips while seven did not. Board President Steve Olsen said he prefers bringing trips to the board for transparency, saying it is “important” to know where students are going and to highlight student opportunities.
Several board members raised specific policy questions: whether athletic overnight trips require board approval, how many students attend relative to the number of adult chaperones, and whether parents sometimes stay at different hotels than students for events such as state tournaments. One board member referenced guidance the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) provides for state tournaments and noted that those events are prescriptive about reporting and itineraries.
The board did not change policy at the meeting but directed follow‑up: members asked the policy committee to review the overnight‑trip policy (last minor revision referenced in 2023), to collect sample procedures from other districts, and to involve coaches and the athletic director in that review. The district indicated it will return with proposals or clarifications to the board.
The approvals were made by voice vote during the meeting’s action‑item portion; the motions carried based on the chair’s announcement at the meeting. Specific mover/second names were not recorded in the meeting transcript provided.
