PVPUSD board urges staff to find alternatives after debate over middle‑school overnight trips

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Board of Education spent more than an hour debating whether to continue overnight middle‑school trips, such as the multi‑day program at the Pali Institute, and directed staff to seek alternatives and better cost data for the coming year.

Dr. Wildy, presenting the middle‑school field trip item, summarized costs and logistics: teacher chaperones receive a $375 stipend per night, substitute coverage is required for students who remain on campus, bus availability is limited by vehicle size and winter road conditions, and Pali typically provides one scholarship per 25 students. The district reported roughly 70 scholarship requests across middle schools and said one site experienced an approximate $7,000 loss of ADA when many students were absent during a three‑day trip.

Several board members said overnight trips are important milestone experiences. Board member Ami Gandhi said the trips offer "outside‑the‑classroom" learning that helps families considering enrollment decisions and noted PTAs and the PEF had offered to help offset costs. "Students need a well‑rounded education and education happens both inside the classroom and outside of the classroom," Gandhi said.

Other trustees pressed staff for more complete numbers before making a long‑term decision. Dr. Dean asked the administration to provide a district‑level cost breakdown that includes camp fees, substitute pay, scholarship payments, bus costs and estimated ADA losses so the board and public can see total fiscal impact. Trustee Julie Hamill and others also flagged concerns about liability and student behavior on overnight trips; Hamill said some middle‑school administrators reported incidents that required parents to be called and students removed.

Trustees agreed the board did not make a final decision to cancel trips but that, given timing, staff should work over the summer to identify possible local or lower‑cost overnight options (for example, camps that do not require snow driving, parent drop‑off options, or other coastal or regional providers), pursue additional fundraising via PTAs/boosters and PEF, and return with recommendations and full cost data. President Kurt said the board agendaized the item now because any fall implementation would require summer planning.

The board also asked staff to explore equity safeguards so students are not denied access because of cost, and to report on transportation constraints and availability of alternate vendors. The board will expect a summer update on whether Pali or comparable options can be arranged for 2025–26 and what tradeoffs would be involved.