Boyceville school board amends student handbook to address travel abroad

By LeAnn R. Ralph

BOYCEVILLE  —  In anticipation of six students traveling to Spain next June for two weeks, the Boyceville Board of Education has amended the student handbook to cover travel abroad.

The company that is coordinating the trip to Spain has asked for a policy to cover students when they are out of the country, said Steve Glocke, principal at Boyceville High School, at the Board of Education’s meeting Monday night.

Glocke said he had written a list of ten expectations that all students and their parents will be asked to sign before going overseas.

Chelsey Hunt, who teaches Spanish at Boyceville High School, talked to the school board about the trip at the September meeting.

The students will spend four days in three different areas of Spain and will focus on cultural and historical sites in the country.

The cost of the trip to Spain will be $3,899 per person, and students also will have to pay for one meal per day, their passports and for travel insurance.

Here is the list of expectations for students traveling out of state, overnight or out of the country:

• All rules, regulations and policies that apply to students when they are in school also are in effect during an out-of-the-country trip.

• The use of alcohol, tobacco, or any controlled substance is prohibited. Laws that apply to students while they are in Wisconsin or the United States also apply to the same students while on an out-of-the-country trip regardless of the rules or laws of the country they are visiting.

• All students will remain with the group during common scheduled times. Students will not roam around on their own at any time and must be accompanied by a chaperone, another student or the host family.

• Students are always expected to be punctual.

• The parent or guardian of any student carrying a prescribed or over-the-counter medication must inform the school in writing prior to the trip of any medication and the instructions for its use. The medication must also be  in the original and appropriately-labeled container.

• Serious violations of the rules of conduct or local laws may result in the student being sent home at the expense of the student’s family.

• Students are expected to be familiar with foreign customs and are expected to follow those customs throughout the trip.

• Students are expected to show respect to everyone the student encounters, including fellow students, airline and hotel staff, school personnel, tour guides, hosts and any other individual.

• Attendance at all scheduled activities is required. If a student becomes ill and is unable to attend, he or she must notify the chaperone immediately.

• Evening curfew hours will be established and strictly enforced.

The Boyceville Board of Education unanimously approved the amendment to the student handbook.

Other business 

In other business, the Boyceville Board of Education:

• Approved for a first reading the school district’s policy on open enrollment. The policy reflects changes to the open enrollment law approved by state legislators, said Kevin Sipple, superintendent. The proposed policy does a better job of explaining open enrollment and adds structure to the process, he said. A second reading of the policy and final approval is expected at the January meeting. Neola, formerly known as the North East Ohio Learning Association, which began as an educational consulting firm more than 40 years ago, will review the policy with school district officials in February.

• Approved withdrawing from the Local Government Property Insurance Fund. The 2015-2017 state budget included a provision to discontinue the LGPIF, but the provision was removed. Fund managers have decided to maintain an 85 percent overall rate increase.

• Received an update on the Achievement Gap Reduction program, which will replace the state’s Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program. SAGE is based strictly on maintaining class sizes of 18 and under for kindergarten through third grade. AGR has several options, including a class size of 18 or under that will focus on growth in learning; if a class has more than 18 students, then students who need additional instruction can be tutored; if class sizes are greater than 18, coaches and training can be provided for teachers to help them deal with students’ learning deficiencies.