School committee approves New York City and Brownstone field trips; Sonny’s Place request not on agenda

The Hampden‑Wilbraham Regional School Committee voted unanimously to approve two middle‑school field trips: a New York City trip that carries a deposit estimate of roughly $300 per student for some items and a Brownstone Adventure Park trip with a much smaller estimated cost. Both motions passed 7–0 following a roll‑call vote.

Committee members asked why the district scheduled three field trips in the same week; John, who joined the meeting by phone, said planners tried to schedule trips after MCAS testing and that bundling allowed families to pay in installments and avoided educational day conflicts. He described the New York trip’s cost as largely bus plus a Broadway show and said the district had estimated deposits of about $300 for New York, $200 for Boston and a $65–$100 range for Brownstone depending on busing.

A request to add another out‑of‑state trip (Sonny’s Place in Connecticut) was raised but the chair said it could not be acted on because it was not on the agenda. The approved motions were moved and seconded on the floor and each passed on roll‑call votes recorded as 7–0.

Next steps: Trip planning will proceed with the funding/payment models described; committee members said more detailed trip logistics and payment plans will be shared with families.