GAMS student council asks board to allow eighth-grade trip to Hershey Park; board directs students to meet with administration

Leila Green, president of the GAMS student council, and Daisy Black, vice president, presented a request during the public-recognition portion of the March 6 Greencastle-Antrim School District Board meeting asking the board to approve an eighth-grade field trip to Hershey Park as a year-end reward for eligible students.

The students described academic and behavioral eligibility criteria they proposed (students with more than one in-school suspension, one referral, or two unlawful absences in the fourth marking period would be ineligible) and outlined fundraising plans including a Wiffle ball tournament, bake sale, candy-gram sales and snack sales during athletic study hall. They noted group ticket pricing on Hershey Park’s website of $36.95 for large groups through April 30 and suggested parent volunteers could help with supervision and logistics.

A board member thanked the students for a comprehensive presentation and advised them to meet with administration and the district’s policies before seeking formal approval. The board member said the district’s current board policy “would not allow” the school to organize a class trip in the same way some parent-organized trips operate and recommended consulting Mr. McManus in administration and bringing parents into the planning process. The board member also noted that class trips in earlier grades (for example, a fifth-grade trip to Gettysburg) have required staff to arrive early and return late, and suggested parent volunteers as one option to address supervision and scheduling concerns.

No formal action was taken by the board during the meeting; the students were told to follow the district approval process and meet with administration to work through logistics and policy constraints.