Board declines international Camp Pathfinder travel after safety concerns; students and staff press alternatives

Students, parents and outdoor-club advisors pressed the Rochester Board of Education on April 29 to allow the district’s longstanding Camp Pathfinder trips to Canada, but the board declined to approve the travel-related resolutions after several members raised safety and legal concerns.

Speakers described Camp Pathfinder as an ‘‘irreplaceable’’ expeditionary-learning experience. ‘‘This trip fosters countless positive attributes, but most importantly it brings genuine happiness to students,’’ said Hazel Roberts, student representative to the Student Leadership Congress, wearing an Outdoor Club shirt during her remarks. Advisors and alumni who run the district’s Outdoor Clubs described multi‑decade ties to Pathfinder and financial supports that have kept costs low for families. ‘‘If there’s ever been a time to be brave on behalf of our young people, it’s now,’’ said Erica Mason, who identified herself as an RCSD graduate, Wilson Outdoor Club member and assistant director at Camp Pathfinder.

Bo…