Clark County board approves two out-of-state overnight student trips

The Clark County board unanimously approved two out-of-state overnight student trips during a meeting that opened at 4:30 p.m.

Members approved an overnight girls basketball trip to Columbus, Ohio, scheduled for Jan. 17–19, and an overnight trip for the GRC mock trial team to Owensboro, Kentucky, scheduled for Jan. 24–26. Both approvals include language allowing for rescheduled dates if trips are canceled because of inclement weather.

The girls basketball trip was previously authorized but the destination was changed from Washington, D.C., to Columbus after organizers reported difficulty finding lodging that was not about $1,000 a night and high demand from other teams. The board was told the team would return on the evening of Jan. 19 and that staff would keep in constant contact with chaperones. No additional out-of-state nights were requested beyond Jan. 17–19; the board added explicit inclement-weather rescheduling authority when approving the trip. The motion to approve the girls basketball trip was seconded and carried 5–0.

The GRC mock trial team’s trip to Owensboro was presented as an overnight trip because the regional competition requires travel of roughly five- to six-hours each way. The board was told the mock trial team is the defending state runner-up and that attendance at the regional competition is required to qualify for state. If the team advances to state competition, the coach will inform the district of dates; the board was told any subsequent overnight travel for state would likely not be out of state. The motion to approve the GRC mock trial trip, including rescheduled dates for inclement weather, was made by Mr. Dorsey, seconded by Ms. Thomas, and carried 5–0.

Board members noted the main procedural reason for bringing these items forward was to trigger insurance coverage for overnight, out-of-state travel. The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to adjourn.