Milan schools update Carnegie Hall choir trip fundraising; board asks finance to review deposit availability

Milan Special School District trustees at their Jan. 20 meeting received an update on a planned Carnegie Hall trip for the district choir and heard that organizers have raised money but still rely on additional fundraising and parent payments to cover costs.

Trip organizer Miss Wilson told the board the total cost for the trip was $68,102.35 and that 27 students are slated to perform. She said Mid America, the tour provider, covers rehearsal space, hotel accommodations in Times Square, transportation to rehearsals and the concert, and an 8-by-10 commemorative photo for each student. Wilson said deposit payments and fundraising already made include parent deposits and a series of fundraisers; she reported a total raised to date of $24,440.60.

Why it matters: organizers said a final deposit is due in April that could jeopardize the students’ participation if not paid. Board members asked district finance staff to identify funds that might cover an interim deposit so the trip proceed as planned.

Details from the presentation and board discussion show organizers have taken multiple steps to reduce out-of-pocket student costs, including early $50 flight deposits requested of families, a July $300-per-person payment, and fundraising that covered a subsequent December deposit. Wilson said she used fundraising to pay some deposits and that parents have paid required installments on schedule, though only one family had paid the full total as of the meeting.

Wilson described the planned itinerary: travel by school bus to Nashville, a flight into LaGuardia, rehearsals on May 9–10, a performance on May 11 (Mother’s Day), a dinner cruise around the Statue of Liberty, and return the following Monday. She said Mid America confirmed hotel and rehearsal logistics; flights had been quoted through Southwest. Organizers and several parents said they preferred flying rather than a multi‑day charter bus trip.

Board members questioned several financial details: the district per diem guidance used for meal budgeting (the presenter cited the district’s out-of-state per diem of $92 per full day); how food per diems compared with New York City costs; how many students had paid in full or had reliable fundraising projections; and whether the district could quickly access funds to meet a deposit. District staff confirmed one final deposit will be due April 15. The board asked Miss Leanne from central office accounting to work with the trip organizers and report back with specific line‑item availability.

No formal board motion to fund the trip was made during the meeting. Instead, the board directed district accounting to confirm whether $18,005.69 (reported by a board member as a current deposit figure) could be provided and to report findings at the next regular meeting so trustees could consider action then.

Organizers described a mix of completed and planned fundraisers — including cheesecakes, cookies-and-cocoa, money-dolly sales, concession stands for an upcoming school musical, trivia and bingo nights, and a cinnamon-roll fundraiser — and said community sponsors have contributed. A parent who identified herself as one of the chaperones told the board parents were contributing and that they would chaperone and supervise the students in New York.

The district and organizers said steps remain: accounting will verify whether the district can cover a deposit if needed; organizers will continue scheduled fundraisers; and the board will revisit the specific funding request at the Feb. 24 meeting if staff report that funds can be allocated.

Ending: Board members said they did not want students to miss the opportunity and asked staff to return with a clear accounting of where any district support would come from and the timing required to meet vendor deadlines.