Federal gridlock shuts down class trip to D.C.

Eighth graders from local Catholic schools get lesson in politics

By Jennifer Eisenbart and Patricia Bogumil

Staff Writers

A hard lesson in the workings of the American government – as well as politics in Washington, D.C. – came the way of more than 60 eight-grade students earlier this week.

A planned three-day trip to D.C. – a trip that includes 31 students from St. Mary’s School, another 19 from St. Charles Borromeo School and 14 from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School in Waterford – got postponed Wednesday because of the federal government shutdown.

However, because of the policy of the tour company, students were still forced to get ready for the trip Tuesday in case the shutdown suddenly ended.

The company said the schools would have to honor the trip as is if that happened, so students were told to prepare – just in case.

“It’s difficult,” said St. Mary’s Principal Loretta Jackson. “I’ve spent a good part of today working on the possibilities.

“The kids are like, ‘do we unpack? I haven’t packed yet – do I pack?’” Jackson added.

A phone tree was set up and a letter sent home with students advising them and their parents of the situation Tuesday, but the hoped-for call never came as the stalemate continued in Washington over the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

All three schools are working for a reschedule date, but there are factors playing into that decision, as well.

“There are three schools involved. When would (a reschedule) happen?” said Jackson, adding also that all three schools – on three different weeks in October – are scheduled for their Archdioceses of Milwaukee and Wisconsin Religion Independent School Association accreditation visits.

“It’s hard for kids to be so disappointed,” said Jackson. “They’ve been working hard saving for this trip, many of them since kindergarten.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she added.

Sixty-four eighth-graders were supposed to leave for Washington D.C. early Oct. 2, with everyone meeting at St. Charles by 4 a.m. to board a bus to Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.

From there, they were to fly to Baltimore International Airport, and then travel into D.C. to view the monuments and museums, many of which are now shuttered until Congress comes up with its own Plan B to keep government services functioning.

Jackson said the students aren’t just upset about the trip being postponed. They are also upset over the government’s lack of action.

“They’re talking about writing letters and such,” Jackson said. “I said, ‘Go for it.’”

Those students were more than willing to point out the flaws in the government.

“I don’t think that shutting down the government is the right solution either way,” said Emma Guttschow at St. Mary’s. Her classmate, Isaac Hannula, added, “I think they should try to come to an agreement.”

In hopes that the trip would go off as planned, students at St. Mary’s were issued study guides and a backpack from Brightspark – the tour company handling the trip.

However, as the day went on, it became clear a compromise wasn’t going to happen.

Depending on the length of the government shutdown, and the availability of school and student scheduling for Plan B options, the trip could be reset for as soon as next month or as late as the spring.

Brightspark Travel is the tour operator for the trip. On its website, Brightspark said one of its greatest strengths as a company is managing contingency plans.

“We have handled this situation successfully before, when the government shut down in 1995,” the site notes.

Brightspark said it is not cancelling tours to Washington, D.C., “but we will make modifications to your itinerary as needed.”

Updates for families and schools are available in Brightspark online communities at:

• Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/BrightsparkTour;

• Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/brightsparktravel; and

• Brightspark Forum, http://www.brightsparktravel.com/forum/