Dear Students and Parents:
After much thought and conversation, we have made the decision to cancel our Florida trip for this year. Up until the last few weeks, the situation looked highly favorable for us to proceed. Unfortunately, that situation has changed dramatically. While the situation could improve by January, it is also possible that it won’t. We are looking at a 50/50 scenario. At this time, proceeding with this trip would be a gamble, and I’m not willing to gamble with YOUR money. Making this decision at this time ensures that you will receive a refund on payments made. If we wait beyond September 15th, I would no longer be able to assure that. I just can’t take that kind of risk with the finances of our parents. This has been an agonizing decision for me to make and one that was not made lightly.
While the health and safety of our students are my first priority, we are also thinking ahead to scenarios where students would need to be quarantined in Florida and not able to return home with us. This would create a terrible situation not only for students, but also financially for parents. I am not willing to put our band family in that situation.
I apologize for having to deliver this news. I know this is a huge disappointment, especially to our senior class. The rest of us can look ahead to trying this trip again next year, but our seniors will not get that chance. If the situation improves between now and Spring, we will continue to explore a smaller trip of some form.
