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Board approves privately run Italy trip as trustees raise equity concerns
Summary
The Massena Central School District board approved a proposed student trip to Italy for spring break 2027 after a presentation by teacher Christina David, despite trustees questioning whether the privately organized, $4,485‑per‑student trip is exclusionary and who bears liability for chaperones' missed work days.
Christina David, a high‑school biology teacher, asked the Massena Central School District board to approve a privately organized student trip to Italy scheduled for April 9–16, 2027. David told trustees the itinerary would include visits to Venice, Florence (with a day trip to Verona) and Rome, with a day in Vatican City and tours of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and St. Peter’s Basilica. She said the planned group would be about 20 students (no more than 25) and four chaperones: herself, Mr. and Mrs. Violi and Jod Legary. The current per‑student price is about $4,485 before early‑registration discounts and fundraising, and optional travel insurance and some meals are not included.
The board pressed David on logistics: how students would be selected if demand exceeded available spots (her plan is first‑come, first‑served after a parent meeting), whether scholarships would be available (she said she had no funds to guarantee a scholarship and expects to rely on fundraising), and whether the district needed to formally approve a trip that is organized externally. David said chaperones would split bus costs among families and that the trip would excuse students for three school days that fall partly outside spring break.
Trustees debated equity and liability. Some members said the trip’s cost makes it exclusionary for families who cannot afford it and questioned whether the district should approve non‑school clubs’ travel when not all students have equal access to fundraising or scholarship opportunities. Others pointed to prior practice of clubs offering scholarships and noted that chaperones sometimes arrange one full scholarship from club funds. The board conducted a motion to approve the trip following discussion; the motion carried without a roll‑call tally recorded in the meeting transcript.
The board approved the trip and the consent item authorizing it. Trustees asked that David hold a parent meeting and follow the district’s procedures for excusing absences, and several members encouraged efforts to pursue scholarships or fundraising to expand access. The board did not record specific conditions tying district funding or scholarships to the trip’s approval.
The district will move forward with the trip planning and do a parent sign‑up following the board’s approval; a parent meeting was scheduled for May 18 for families to register and learn next steps.
