Date: Fri 11-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-Discovery-field-trip

Full Text:

School Bd Approves Disney Trip For Discovery Students

BY MICHELE HOGAN

The Board of Education voted Tuesday night to approve a trip for eighth grade

Discovery students to attend educational programs at EPCOT/Disney Youth Center

in Florida by a vote of five-to-one.

The Board of Education endorsed the educational value of the trip, but

questioned whether the cost -- $750 per student -- placed an undue burden on

some parents.

The four-night trip (Friday, January 15 to Tuesday, January 19, 1999),

including airfare, accommodations, meals and educational programs provided by

Disney personnel, is expected to total $678, but parents were told to allow up

to $750.

Twenty-eight members of the public, mostly Discovery students and their

parents, attended the Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. Parents showed

strong support for the field trip and for the Discovery staff. None at the

meeting expressed concern over the cost of the trip.

Students explained the educational benefits they would derive from the field

trip, how they had earned the money to attend themselves, and how much they

wanted to go.

Parents expressed a willingness to ensure that nobody was left out for

financial reasons.

Katherine Dougherty, mother of an eighth grade Discovery student, suggested

that some sort of funding or scholarship could be made available if the cost

was a problem for anyone.

John Vouros, Discovery teacher, said "I would not have planned this if there

was a chance someone would not be able to go. There are many ways we can solve

the problem... These parents, we know well. If they tell me `yes,' they mean

`yes.'"

Parents had been asked to fill out and return an anonymous questionnaire

asking about the field trip; 26 of 29 families responded. Of the 26, only

three felt the price of $750 was excessive.

One parent pointed out that feedback from parents overwhelmingly supports the

field trip. "An anonymous questionnaire is about as good as you can get. It

would be quaint, or arrogant, to second-guess."

After the meeting one Discovery parent expressed her trust in the Discovery

staff. She said that when her husband had been out of work the Discovery staff

found a way for her son to participate in the Johns Hopkins Youth Talent

Search Test free of charge. The test normally costs about $50. She added the

staff kept her situation in full confidence.

Most of the students involved in the program are earning the money to go

themselves. One student said he made $300 helping the Newtown District with

computers.

Lindsay Sprung, an eighth grade Discovery student, said "I just made my $800.

I did 188 hours of babysitting. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Board of Education member Susan Hills was the only one to vote against

approval of the field trip. She explained that this is a public school system,

that should be equally accessible for all, the very wealthy and the very poor.

She discussed "the ripple effect -- opening up a gate for others to follow."

She said to the assembled parents, students and board members, "The cost is

exorbitant. You might see this as arrogant. But we are placing an unfair

burden on our parent group. We support the [Discovery] program, but I cannot

support the field trip." She said she had received phone calls from some other

Discovery parents who couldn't comfortably pay the field trip costs.

Mrs Hills talked about human dignity, and said that she doesn't want anybody

to be placed in the position of having to ask for a handout.

She suggested several alternatives that could lower the cost of the trip such

as keeping the trip to the Connecticut-New York State area, or, if Discovery

teachers consider Disney an essential part of the program, she suggested

putting it in as a line-item on the Discovery budget.

A Pre-Set Cap?

After the Discovery field trip was approved, the board discussed whether there

should be a pre-set cap on field trip costs.

John Reed, superintendent of schools, said, "Either live with the bumpy road

of taking them one at a time, or set a dollar amount up front. I would be

reluctant to set it. I would turn to parents, PTAs or a survey. Once you

collect the data, you have to go by it."

Elaine McClure, a Board of Education member, said that the problem with a

parent committee setting limits would be "Discovery could set us one limit.

Those getting free lunches would set another limit."

Amy Dent, Chairman of the Board of Education, said, "I think we are trying to

micro-manage something, that for a variety of reasons, may not need to be

managed."

Charles Nanavaty, another Board of Education member, advised caution against

the risk of reverse discrimination -- those who can afford it being denied the

right to go.

He suggested setting up a fund from gifts, to be available to people who

qualify for the free-lunch program. Before an expensive field trip, these

people could be contacted and offered a scholarship for their child to attend.