Despite war, SMHS seniors will make scheduled voyage

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Despite war in Iraq, Smoky Mountain High School seniors will visit the U.S. Virgin Islands next week.

The senior trip will proceed despite last week's cancellation of a planned Fairview trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., according to Superintendent Mack McCary.

A Tuesday (March 25) night parents' meeting was termed "very successful" by SMHS Assistant Principal Tinnie Salzano, who said some 76 seniors and chaperones will leave Friday at 8 p.m. The group will return to Sylva on Sunday, April 6, she said.

During the Tuesday meeting, parents were advised of safety precautions put in place by the cruise line and given a list of emergency contacts, Salzano said. To help allay parent concerns, either she or SMHS Principal Kenny Nicholson will call one of the Jackson County contacts each night of the trip, Salzano said.

McCary and school board member Ken Henke attended the meeting as well, and the superintendent said he "affirmed parents' right to decide whether their child should go."

With no specific threats against the destination or mode of transportation, and with the trip already scheduled, it was decided to proceed, McCary said. Students would lose the money already paid if the trip were cancelled so close to departure, he said.

The superintendent made last week's decision to cancel Fairview's planned sixth-grade trip to space camp in Huntsville, he said, after consultation with school board members and administrators at Fairview, Cullowhee Valley and Smokey Mountain Elementary.

"This was decided Thursday (March 20) on the opening day of the war," McCary said. "We simply did not know enough to evaluate risks, and the decision had to be made immediately to avoid losing money."

Board members have now decided to allow Space Camp to be rescheduled, plus allow already approved overnight trips to proceed on a case by case basis, McCary said.

"I'll be briefing principals (Wednesday) and asking them to meet with parents to alert them to security concerns and safety precautions, get their input and address questions before proceeding with overnight trips," McCary said.

Based on McCary's comments Tuesday, a proposed 10-day Discovery II trip to Washington, D.C., in April will likely be cancelled. School officials delayed a decision on that trip during their March 17 meeting but have since decided to curtail all trips to "high-profile" areas such as Washington, D.C., or New York City, McCary said.

Back to Archive: 03/27/03.