BELLE — Following a discussion April 24, the Maries County R-2 Board of Education agreed to contact sponsors of the Washington D.C. trip for a proposal to determine if they should cancel or postpone the event at the May board meeting due to COVID-19.

“The consensus is we are not taking any action tonight,” Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham confirmed with board members following the discussion. “We would like for them to come back and provide us with a proposal at the May meeting?”

Board members confirmed that was correct. The consensus came as the board seemed to decide that the trip, already rescheduled to Aug. 1-8, should be canceled.

“If (Washington D.C.) isn’t open and can’t reopen, they would rather do one week next year with this group and a second week with the new eighth graders,” Basham said. “There are concerns that things won’t be open this year.”

Board President Joey Butler II said even if Washington D.C. is reopened, healthcare officials are discussing a chance of a second wave and COVID-19 lingering.

“I think we should have a discussion about canceling the D.C. trip, as bad as that sounds,” Butler said.

He added that parents have not completed payments on the trip yet, and if they invest more money and the trip doesn’t happen, they will be out that much more.

“Right now with the D.C. trip, everyone they have talked to has said they will have the same rates for the trip whenever they (the students) go,” Basham told the board. “They are giving them the same rates no matter when they go for this trip. It won’t cost them anymore next year than it would this year.”

However, the 2021 class will have a different rate. Director Tom Kinsey asked if the families were already fully funded. Basham said they make their final payments on July 1.

“What is that money, $4,000 or $5,000 total?” Kinsey asked.

Director Dawn Hicks said when she went last year it was under $1,500, but Kinsey said he wanted to know for the whole group.

“If it ends up not happening, then we have just wasted that money,” Kinsey said.

Basham said the group has only made half of the bus deposit, about $300, nothing else has been paid.

Butler argued that once the students this year reach high school, their schedules and interests may change.

“Once they get into high school, and it gets prolonged — they can’t do it in August, then they can’t do it next year, or the summer after that,” Butler said. “Those kids are going to be sophomores (before they can take the trip). Is it worth cutting your losses now? That is what I am asking.”

Director Kenda Sanders is currently scheduled to attend the trip with her daughter.

“Don’t ask Kenda,” Sanders said. “Because she is going to have one very upset daughter if they don’t go. I have my reservations about going.”

Director Brent Stratman said he agreed.

“I think it is dumb to put all the kids at risk,” Stratman said. “Like Kenda just said, she has a kid that wants to go, but she really doesn’t want to.”

“Pretty much every expert you hear talk says this is not over,” Director Amy Kiso agreed. “If we do peak, there will be yet another round (of COVID-19). Probably more than one.”

Sanders suggested thinking of the areas students would visit, how many cases have been in D.C. and Kiso added that there are many international persons there.

Basham told the board they have a right to tell the kids they are not going or to postpone the trip longer. Hicks said she doesn’t feel students should go in August when the virus is projected to peak in D.C. around the same time.

“I would hate to send a group of eighth graders to D.C. knowing that it is a high probability it (COVID-19) is going to peak,” Hicks said. “I would feel more comfortable waiting until maybe May, when we know more.”

Stratman asked what would happen if the kids went to D.C. in August during the peak and they came back sick?

“Right now they are out a minimal amount of money and have to fundraise,” Butler said. “If they fundraise, they can build that money back up. They are going to have to have it paid in July. If they can’t go in August and can’t go in May, ‘oh crap, we are out of all of it,’” Butler said.

Kinsey asked if they should wait another month to let everyone think about it. Basham said the sponsors agreed they will make a decision when everything is opened back up. Kinsey said no.

“I’d like to make a motion that the eighth grade trip should give us what they are thinking before the next board meeting,” Kinsey said.

Basham asked if he wanted them to make a decision by the next board meeting if they are going or not.

“Yes, ‘cause we need to protect our community also,” Kinsey said. “Once they get on the bus, everyone is only a foot apart.”

Hicks said she doesn’t want the group to go in August regardless.

“At this point, I wouldn’t even say I am not comfortable for them going at all,” Butler said. “There are a lot of people who would be losing a lot more money. We already have people who want to back out but are afraid of losing their money. That is a logical thought at this point, it would be silly to force them to say ‘ok, your money is due on July 1, you may not go until next May if you go at all.’”

Students have made a $150 deposit each so far. All other funds came from fundraisers.

“So we have the money to pay the families back?” Kinsey asked.

The remainder of the funds they children raised are kept in a school account.

“If the class doesn’t end up going at all, could the money that they fundraised be used for a scholarship for that class or something,” Sanders asked. “We did get a lot of community support. At the Eagles we raised over $13,000 for these kids to go to D.C.”

Stratman suggested saving the funds for those students’ senior trip. Kiso said it may not be the same kids going on the senior trip as the educational D.C. trip.

“You can’t take community money and give it to an individual,” Kinsey said.

Butler said he didn’t care what they did with the funds, but felt many wouldn’t like that.

“Some of the people only went for that trip because it was an educational piece, and then to hear those who fundraised say ‘we didn’t go on the trip so they took our $13 grand and divided it up for Chuck E Cheese or scholarships — people are going to be mad and I don’t think it is legal,” Butler said.

Kinsey agreed they would need to ask the district lawyers that question before they made a decision.

“What do you want to tell them now,” Basham asked.

Hicks said they need to make a decision, the board should postpone until May and families should not pay their last deposit in July until the board makes a decision.

“I still think we should decide next month if they should have the trip at all before they can’t get their money back,” Butler said.

Hicks asked if they canceled this year’s trip if it would be canceled forever.

“I wouldn’t think we would need to make that decision next month,” Butler said. “We could wait until next year and see what it looks like.”

Butler added that he doesn’t need a proposal per se from the Washington D.C. trip sponsors, they can just give the board the information they have.

“By that time, they should have more information from the governor and other states,” he said.