Terrorist concerns may affect school trips

Superintendent wants to consider new policy for trips abroad.

By: Michael Ross
   HIGHTSTOWN — In light of terrorism concerns, the school district will seek advice from parents in deciding the fate of future trips abroad.
   Superintendent Ronald E. Bolandi said this week that the East Windsor Regional School District’s policy on sending students abroad during heightened terrorist alerts is too "wide open."
   The district’s chief administrator expressed interest in opening a communitywide dialogue on the subject at Monday’s Board of Education meeting at the Hightstown High School.
   The school sponsors annual exchange trips to Spain and Germany and one trip every four years to England.
   "I think that it’s crazy that we continually don’t have this dialogue," Mr. Bolandi said. "God forbid we had a class over there on a train that got blown up," he added, speaking of the March 11 terrorist bombing in Madrid, Spain.
   "All trips are approved or disapproved by the superintendent," board member James Hauck said.
   "I don’t want to play judge, jury and executioner," Mr. Bolandi replied. "I won’t approve a trip going to a country that just had 1,000 people killed," he added.
   "We had a dialogue last year," Board of Education President Bruce Ettman said in Wednesday interview.
   According to Mr. Ettman, the board established a criteria to review the U.S. State Department’s Current Travel Warnings, a list of countries the department recommends Americans avoid, and avert trips to countries where a terrorist attack recently occurred.
   Mr. Ettman added that parents and staff members could opt out of foreign exchange programs should they feel endangered.
   "I think it’s worthy of regular discussion," Mr. Ettman said. "I think we’ll find some mixed opinions about it," he added.
   Mr. Bolandi said he will supply polices from other school districts as examples for the board to consider.
   He also will invite parents to participate in a survey this September and will champion a communitywide open forum in October.