Tiverton committee approves planning for two‑year middle‑school trip to São Miguel, Azores

The Tiverton School Committee on Tuesday authorized staff to begin planning a two‑year middle‑school program that could culminate in travel to São Miguel in the Azores, but required the school to return for final approval before any bookings are made.

Anna Almeida, the district’s Portuguese instructor, described the proposal as a two‑year curricular sequence for seventh‑ and eighth‑graders designed to strengthen Portuguese language skills and provide cultural and environmental learning. “This immersive experience aims to enhance our students’ understanding of environmental science, culture, and history,” she said in the presentation.

Committee members welcomed the educational intent but pressed for details. One member said she was “very nervous about the age group” and noted the district had not previously taken students that young on such distant international travel. Another raised liability concerns over the plan to book some travel elements directly with carriers rather than use a travel agency, calling that approach “a huge liability” if something went wrong.

The committee amended the motion to permit exploration and planning for the two‑year program while requiring the proposers to return for full approval before any travel arrangements are finalized. The amended motion passed unanimously.

The committee directed staff to hold a parent meeting to refine expected participant numbers, chaperone ratios and estimated costs, and to present a detailed itinerary and funding plan when they seek final authorization. No specific trip cost or exact chaperone ratio was approved; those details will be part of the final approval request.