KINGSTON, N.Y. – District trustees approved a 10-day trip to Europe but are reviewing how information is presented to officials for future trips.
Trustee Patricia Lowe noted that district policy requires that the names of students and chaperones be included with the resolution.
“The trip is not until July 2024 … and according to the policy we’re supposed to have the names of the persons attending,” she said. “Normally we would have a list of the kids.”
The trip is proposed to have a student who will have been in grades 11 and 12 go to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy shortly after classes end for the 2023-24 academic year.
“I just wanted a little more mature group to go to Europe,” teacher and band director Stephen Garner said. “I am open to lowering that but we’re looking to go right after graduation.”
Administrators noted that the board approval, which was unanimous, was needed to begin arrangements with the tour company. They added that fundraising could not start until estimates are provided to the students.
“They don’t have a trip to put names to at this point,” Superintendent Paul Padalino said.
Garner noted that it takes more than a full year to determine the interest level among the students and how many of them will need help paying their share. He said that recent trips have needed some flexibility and considerable advanced planning due to COVID-19.
“Even that last trip (for science and technology to Switzerland and Germany) the students weren’t approved. But then when it was canceled twice, some of those (anticipated) student’s siblings went, so those names changed,” he said.
The 2024 destinations were chosen for the history and reverence those countries have for classical music.
“Vienna, Salzburg and Prague are like the cradle of classical music,” Garner said.
“That’s where most of the western music started with Mozart and Bach,” he said. “That’s really the epicenter for music that we play even for stuff that is not so classical. It’s a music tour really, through the beginning of western music.”
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