Board approves consideration of eighth-grade Washington, D.C./New York trip; members question liability, timing and equity supports

The Superior School District board approved consideration of an overnight eighth-grade field trip to Washington, D.C., and New York City during spring break of 2028, led by eighth-grade teacher Michael Horic.

Horic, who has taken students on multiple previous trips, said early approval allows families to spread payments—parent meetings would start in October 2026 and monthly payments would typically be under $200. He said the third-party vendor (EF) offers insurance and scholarship options; EF also provides mechanisms for fundraising and linked crowdfunding pages. Horic said chaperones do not receive district pay for the trip; instead staffing is managed through traveler-to-chaperone ratios and costs are included in trip packages.

Board members pressed why the item appeared as an action item rather than informational, noting the trip is not school-sponsored in the sense that funds do not flow through the district. Administrators said placing it on the agenda was a transparency decision and that district practice varies by district; the board may move similar items to informational status in the future. The board also asked about contingency insurance, refund practices when trips are canceled, and whether staff are paid; administration described EF’s typical insurance and refund approaches and previous experience moving trips after the COVID period.

The motion to approve consideration of the overnight trip carried by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: administration will proceed with parent outreach and the vendor’s scheduling processes; the board agreed to revisit whether similar items should be informational.