Board allows investigation of proposed Key Club trip to Ireland, England and Paris; adviser outlines eligibility and fundraising plan

Jason Dunson (S6), identified as the Key Club adviser and a math teacher, presented a proposal for a student trip that would be 9–11 days in 2028 covering Ireland and England, with an optional two-day extension to Paris. He suggested eligibility criteria (minimum GPA, Key Club involvement and community-service hours) and a fundraising timeline that would require roughly $150 per month over 36 months if fundraising began in June to make the trip economically feasible.

Dunson said the travel company (identified in the presentation as EF) would handle bookings, insurance and chaperone arrangements and that the organizer believed the company’s structure limited district liability. "There's really that I can find no liability to the school," Dunson said of the vendor arrangement, while acknowledging the need to check legalities if the trip appeared to be school-affiliated.

Board members raised concerns about chaperone incentives, liability if students have graduated by travel time, and past problems other districts experienced during COVID-era trips. One board member noted that if the trip is a Key Club activity rather than a district-sponsored trip, liability considerations differ and the district's legal counsel would need to review the arrangement. The board moved to allow staff to investigate the proposal further; the motion carried.

The investigation will include consultations with legal counsel, outreach to other superintendents about their policies, and review of liability, chaperone rules and any fundraising oversight needed before the board would consider formal approval of a district-affiliated trip.