Watertown Middle School Students, Parents Plea for DC Trip to Go On

Eighth-grade class president Julia Harrington heard great stories about the middle school trip to Washington, D.C., when her sister went, but she told the School Committee Monday she worries that she won't get to go on the trip because of the standoff with the Watertown teachers' contract.

The annual trip taken by Watertown Middle School eighth-graders occurs near the end of the school year, and it is led by teachers from the school. Teachers, however, are not participating in field trips as part of a protest by the Watertown Educators Association for not having contract for more than a year and a half.

Several middle school students and their parents showed up at Monday's meeting to hear about the decision on the DC trip, and Harrington made her case.

"I've been looking forward to the trip for so long. I remember when my sister got to go, and she loved it," Harrington said. "Students and teachers involved with the trip are upset about the circumstances of the trip and hope the trip can go on."

Monday's School Committee agenda included discussion of approval of the trip, but School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer said the board did not have to decide, yet.

"I don't think there is any secret that this is a topic of discussion," Hsu-Balzer said. "No one does not want to see (the trip) happen, but it is in limbo now."

Contract talks have restarted, and negotiations will continue tonight, March 6, Hsu-Balzer said. If the contract is approved before the trip, there is time for the School Committee to approve the DC trip.

"We don't have to approve it more than 30 days in advance," Hsu-Balzer said.

The trip is usually approved a few months ahead so students can hold fund-raising events to cut the cost of the trip. Hsu-Balzer said the school has money left over from last year that could be used instead of holding fund raisers.

The vote on approving the trip was postponed until the April 2 meeting.

"It will still be 60 days in advance of the trip," Hsu-Balzer said. "There will enough time to organized the trip."