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Middle-school staff propose six-day domestic national-park tour; board members asked for itinerary and safety details
Summary
A middle-school teacher outlined a proposed six-day domestic tour to Bryce Canyon, Zion, Glen Canyon/Grand Canyon and Sedona for middle-school students; price, chaperone ratios, included services and safety arrangements were presented and board members requested a day-by-day itinerary and details for parents.
Jody Chappell, a middle-school teacher who leads extracurricular outdoor programs, presented a proposed six-day domestic educational tour to national parks for Jersey Shore Area SD middle school students.
Chappell said the proposed itinerary would include travel to coral pink sand dunes near Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon (short hikes such as Inspiration or Sunset Trails), Zion National Park (short hike to Emerald Pools), Glen Canyon with a rafting trip near Horseshoe Bend, the Grand Canyon (visitor center IMAX) and a stop in Sedona before flying home. The trip would fly into and out of Phoenix or Las Vegas depending on the itinerary, and she described planned activities such as sandboarding, short guided hikes and a guided rafting excursion.
Cost and inclusions: Chappell said the student price would be $3,214 (payable over an 18-month plan quoted in the presentation) and parents who choose to travel would pay $3,664. The presenter said the fee includes round-trip transportation, hotel accommodations, overnight security, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), guided tours, gratuities and activities; she had added lunch to the vendor’s base package to avoid leaving middle-school students to find lunch on their own. The group would use EF Tours (presentation referenced an EF travel package); Chappell said EF provides a tour director, local support staff and 24-hour hotel surveillance and emergency response support.
Chaperone ratio and safety: because this is a domestic tour, Chappell said the vendor’s required chaperone ratio would be 10 students per chaperone (international tours typically require a 6:1 ratio). She emphasized the vendor’s on-the-ground safety staff and her prior experience leading student trips, and offered to provide the board with a full day-by-day itinerary and the written vendor materials.
Board members asked for the detailed itinerary and for written materials to be emailed to the board; Chappell agreed to supply the itinerary and said she would roll out signups promptly to keep the per-student price lower. There was no board vote on the trip during the meeting.
Chappell (presenter): “The price of this tour for the students is $3,214, which works out to a $174 for over 18 months.”
