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Bellefontaine City Schools officials, students and families, along with a number of other school districts around the state, were left in limbo during the past week after learning that Discovery Tours, the travel company contracted to coordinate the quickly approaching Bellefontaine Middle School trip to Washington, D.C., had suspended operations and has filed for bankruptcy.
However, through the efforts of BMS staff and others, the eighth-grade trip slated for May 21 through 24 is still a go, with alternative arrangements being made with the company Prodigy Tours, Bellefontaine Middle School parents were informed during a special trip meeting Wednesday evening.
“The Washington D.C. trip is a valued tradition and learning opportunity that Bellefontaine Schools did not want to see cancelled,” Superintendent Brad Hall said in a release. “Bellefontaine Middle School families and students raised over $73,000 to take the trip through Discovery Tours.
“Lynda Holycross, middle school principal, and Cliff Core, eighth-grade social studies teacher, have worked diligently to salvage the trip.”
Hall said the district first began to learn of the travel company’s financial troubles last week, when the Mentor Schools’ eighth-grade trip booked with Discovery Tours was cancelled at the last minute.
With the BMS trip coming up in a few short weeks, Bellefontaine City Schools reached out to the company about the status of its trip. Those inquiries went unanswered until late Friday, when the company confirmed it had suspended operations and cancelled all upcoming trips, the superintendent said.
The Mayfield-based company filed for bankruptcy Monday.
Read complete story in Thursday’s Examiner.
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