How much is too much for student trips?

DOVER — School Board member Carolyn Mebert raised concerns about students paying "basically $5,000 for a trip to Peru" during this week’s board meeting.

She described the price tag for the Dover High School trip - which is being planned for April 2021 - as "a lot of money for our students."

"I’m sure that the trip would be a fabulous, fabulous experience, and that everybody should be entitled to that experience, but we’ve got a lot of kids who are probably not able to scrape up about what is essentially $5,000 for this thing," Mebert said during Monday’s School Board meeting.

She noted the school district’s policy states that "substantial fundraising had to be done for these out-of-country trips."

Mebert stated she would "like to see the plan for this trip," adding "this is one of the most expensive ones that I’ve seen so far."

Francine Kontos, the advisor of the World Arts Club, who is coordinating the trip, tells interested parents the program fee for the Peru trip is $4,290, but another $100 is needed to pay the "tip fee for tour guide and bus driver."

There is also a $95 registration fee for EF Tours, which is a charge of the Peru trip, and she recommends that each student set aside $300 to $400 for "lunch, incidentals and souvenirs."

EF Tours offers a payment plan for the tour for parents who don’t want to pay in full, where they can pay $280 monthly or $140 biweekly, according to Kontos.

In response to Mebert’s questions about fundraising, Kontos said on a previous trip to Spain and Portugal "we did quite a bit of fundraising before we left."

She didn’t know the total amount of money raised for that trip, she said during Monday’s School Board meeting.

But she said, "I can tell you we talk about fundraising in the beginning and there's a lot of kids that are interested and when we actually decide to fundraise we have very few who come through and want to do it."

Mebert stated while the chaperones on the trip go for free, "it’s really the kids who are subsidizing the costs of the chaperones."

Kontos replied "that’s true," but added that "you’re talking about adults who are working."

"It’s not really a vacation," Kontos said.

Mebert then added that she’d like to go on the trip and said "10 days in Peru sounds pretty good."

The board unanimously voted to grant preliminary approval for the trip as part of their consent agenda. Final approval could come at a later date.

School Board Chair Amanda Russell said Kontos pointed out during Monday’s meeting that "they offer multiple fundraising activities" to help pay for the trip.

Asked if there should be a limit to how much students are asked to pay for overseas trips, Russell said, "I don’t know but that’s a discussion we can have."

She acknowledged the financial impact such trips can have on parents.

"There is actually policy on this and the policy can always be brought back up for revision," Russell said.

The school district policy states that such overseas trips must be approved by the principal, superintendent and School Board.

In a letter to the School Board and superintendent, Kontos states that "in addition to being immersed in the land and culture of Peru, the students will spend two days working in a local community on projects that support economic sustainability, local agriculture and access to education."

"We will plan some fundraising to help defray the cost of the trip and planning it this far in advance allows the students the opportunity to pay with a payment plan," Kontos said in the letter.

She declined to comment when reached Wednesday.

Dover High School Principal Peter Driscoll could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

He did write a letter in support of the trip, stating "we appreciate your support of this incredible cultural experience for our students made possible by the efforts of Ms. Kontos."