Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Travel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves three student overnight trips; China exchange approved only if U.S. advisory stays at level 2
Summary
The Elkhorn Area School District board approved overnight educational travel for middle-school students to Italy and for FCCLA students to a state competition in Wisconsin Dells, and approved an exchange visit to China contingent on the U.S. travel advisory remaining at level 2 or lower; the China motion passed with one opposed.
The Elkhorn Area School District board on March 23 approved three overnight student travel requests, including an educational trip to Italy, an FCCLA state-competition trip to the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells, and a two‑week exchange visit to China that the board made contingent on the U.S. travel threat level remaining at level 2 or lower.
The Italy proposal asked to take a middle‑school group (students between freshman and sophomore years by the time of travel) to Florence and Rome on an EF Tours itinerary with an estimated per‑student cost of about $4,400 and $5,100 for adults. Presenters described course alignment, a planned 6:1 chaperone ratio and routine tour services including hotels, daily meals and local transportation. A board member moved and seconded the request; the motion was approved by voice vote.
Stacy Jacobs, assistant FCCLA adviser at Elkhorn Area High School, asked the board to approve a three‑day trip to Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells for roughly 10–12 students who qualified for state competition after strong regional finishes. “We competed in regionals on Feb. 16 and several students scored high enough to advance to state,” Jacobs said. The trip, which covers competition schedules and a third day of activities, was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Christine Mera and teacher Matthew Henley presented a proposed two‑week cultural exchange to a partner school the presenters named as the American International Academy in China. Mera said the partner school offered substantial cost sharing—“they’re willing to pay for half of the travel costs and cover many hotel and food costs,” as she described it—and that host families and in‑country school staff would help guide the group. Board members raised safety questions and asked about travel insurance. The board approved the China trip with the explicit condition that the U.S. travel advisory (threat level) remain at level 2 or lower; the motion carried with one member recorded as opposed.
None of the trip approvals recorded individual roll‑call tallies in the meeting transcript; votes were taken by voice and recorded on the public record as motions that passed. For the China trip, board members required the contingency to ensure the district would not proceed if the advisory rose to level 3.
The board did not adopt additional restrictions in the meeting beyond the advisory contingency for the China exchange. Next steps for each trip include typical administrative follow‑through: final participant lists, verification of chaperone ratios and confirmation of travel insurance and itinerary details before itineraries are shared with families and the community.
