A student group from Marana High School is temporarily stuck in London after the tour company canceled its trip over COVID-19.
The 29 students in the World Travelers Club along with nearly a dozen chaperones were in flight, beginning a 10-day trip to Ireland and Scotland, when the U.S. State Department advised Americans to reconsider travel abroad due to the pandemic. The tour company sent out robocalls to parents saying as soon as the students landed in London, they would be sent back on the earliest available flight.
While the Marana High trip was perhaps the most dramatic, a number of other district-sponsored spring break trips were affected for Tucson-area students due to coronavirus concerns.
The University High/Rincon choir was at the airport in Phoenix on Thursday ready for a week of sightseeing in New York, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall, when they found out the iconic venue was closing for at least the rest of the month. They got on buses and came back to Tucson.
Tucson’s largest school district canceled all upcoming overseas student trips, of which there were three, to South Korea, Japan and Peru. Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said TUSD administration is not banning domestic travel. The Carnegie Hall trip was only canceled because the venue is closed.
The Tucson High orchestra also has a trip planned to play at Carnegie Hall during spring break next week. A final decision on that trip hadn’t been made as of Thursday night, said district spokeswoman Leslie Lenhart.
Sunnyside, Tucson’s second largest school district, suspended all out-of-state, district-sponsored trips for students and staff, said spokeswoman Marisela Felix.
Like the Marana High administration, the TUSD and Sunnyside districts are trying to figure out how to compensate schools and families for prepaid trips.
The Marana High student club ended up spending most of Thursday in a London airport. Tired and hungry after a day-and-a-half of travel, they were finally taken to a hotel. EF Educational Tours told parents the students will stay in London until they can get a flight back on Saturday or Sunday, said Kathy Garcia, one of the parents whose son is on the trip.
Marana High junior Paul Garcia has been wanting to go to Ireland since he was 10, and was happy to start planning this trip a year ago, Kathy Garcia said.
The family paid $3,600 for the trip. Garcia heard the tour company will either give out vouchers for other trips or plan the same trip for a later date. If the money goes to the same trip for spring break next year, that’s fine with her. Otherwise, Garcia would like a refund.
EF Educational Tours could not be reached for comment.
Getting a voucher or rescheduling the trip may be more complicated for high school seniors who are graduating, going on to college or have other commitments for next year.
Garcia is disappointed the trip is canceled, but said it’s probably for the best.
“I was more concerned about him being stuck for 30 days then contracting the coronavirus,” she said.
