Norwood School Committee Denies French Exchange Amid Safety Concerns

NORWOOD, MA — High school students hoping to say bon voyage to home for a few days were likely disappointed by last week’s vote by the school committee.

At their Nov. 30 meeting, the committee voted 2-2 on a proposed exchange program to France. In the event of a tie, a motion does not pass. Committee members Myev Bodenhofer and Lisa Igoe voted in favor of the trip and Chairman James Gormley was not present.

“At this time I don’t think we’ll be able to approve this,” Igoe said.

High school teacher Cynthia Derrane told the committee that interested students would say with the families of 23 students that visited Norwood High School in October. Derrane said about half of the interested Norwood students served as hosts and others interacted with the visitors during their after school activities.

The nine-10-day trip would have been arraigned though Carousel Travel, who also provides services to Westwood and Xaverian High Schools.

Despite the prospects of an overseas experience for Norwood students, committee members were concerned with the safety and security aspects of the overseas trip.

“I’m wrestling with this because of the issues in France. I thought about this and wondered if I would send my own son and the answer is no because of what’s going on in France,” Committee member Michele Eysie Mullen said. “With the Presidential election and the unknown with that, I just don’t know if the timing is right.”

Derrane said that travel insurance would have been covered in the costs and Carousel does have a protocol to get students out of the country as soon as possible in the event of the emergency.

This would have been the first time Norwood High School conducted an exchange with another school. The students who visited Norwood in October were all from the same school and neighborhood.

Image via Norwood Public Schools