Frontier Regional School Committee Blocks International Trip Policy Change, Halts New Approvals

WHATELY -- June 11, 2026, Frontier Regional School Committee votes 8-1 against adopting a revised international travel policy, freezing new trip approvals. Superintendent Darius Modestow told the committee Thursday that both the district's attorney and its insurance carrier have concluded the school cannot meaningfully disclaim endorsement of international trips as long as it continues acting as an administrative conduit, citing specific exposure around disability accommodations and chaperone liability. Two student trips already in motion, one through EF Tours and one through a smaller Cambridge-area agency whose contract has not yet been signed, remain in an uncertain status, with families having paid into accounts despite no executed agreement with the travel company. The committee also voted 7-2 to reject transferring a memorial dedication honoring Iraq War veteran Gregory Belanger, a 1998 Frontier graduate, from a long-defunct 2004 scoreboard to the school's newly installed one, with most members citing the district's 2018 policy disfavoring permanent school memorials. On financial matters, the committee unanimously approved moving any regional transportation reimbursement above the budgeted $230,000 to a stabilization fund and posted $8,392.51 to the school lunch revolving fund to correct a state-identified bookkeeping deficiency from fiscal year 2025.