School committee approves Andover High School trip to Peru for Feb. 2026

The Andover School Committee voted unanimously to approve an Andover High School extracurricular trip to Peru scheduled for Feb. 14–22, 2026.

Committee members approved the request after a presentation from teacher Bridal Frisk and chaperones, who described travel to Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and said the itinerary includes a service component. "This trip is really special because it also has a service component to it," Frisk said, noting the program aligns with the high school's Global Pathways program.

The committee’s motion, made during the Feb. 27 meeting, called for approval “as presented and in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Andover School Committee policy entitled APS school sponsored trip and student travel policy.” The motion passed 5–0.

Organizers said the trip will be limited to a maximum of 24 students with four chaperones and that they will partner with EF Tours. Frisk said she is assembling a packet of external scholarship resources beyond EF’s Global Citizen scholarship to make the trip more accessible; she acknowledged that many scholarships target college-level programs rather than high school travel.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about eligibility and timing. Frisk confirmed eligibility for this offering is current grades 9–11 (so rising 10–12 during the trip). The committee also discussed plans to convene a broader staff group in mid-March to coordinate future domestic and international travel offerings and to recruit more staff chaperones.

The committee did not specify funding sources in public remarks. Frisk and staff said scholarships and externally available funding information would be shared with families at the informational meeting for prospective travelers.

The vote closed the item and the committee wished the organizers and students well.