School board cancels Neelin students’ Greece trip

The Brandon School Division board of trustees has cancelled a planned student trip to Europe due to growing geopolitical tensions in the region.

About 30 students from the École secondaire Neelin High School Travel Club had planned to visit Greece between March 24 and April 1.

Trustees voted during Monday’s general meeting to accept the recommendation by Supt. Mathew Gustafson to cancel the trip.

The decision was difficult, particularly for students and families who had been planning and saving for the once-in-a-lifetime experience, trustee Breeanna Sieklicki said during the meeting.

“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Sieklicki said. “Many students had looked forward to the trip for months. But if you told me a year ago that there would be this many wars going on in that area of the world, I wouldn’t necessarily have believed it.”

She said the possibility of travel disruptions was a serious concern.

“I would hate to hear some tragedy of them being stuck somewhere because there are no planes,” she said. “I don’t want to hear that our school division students are stuck in Europe because there was an unforeseen incident.”

Trustee Calistus Ekenna also expressed sadness about the cancellation but said student safety must come first.

“I know young ones who have planned to embark on this trip and were really looking forward to it,” Ekenna said. “But given how unpredictable the situation is right now, and with many European nations on alert, sending our students there would not be in the best interest of the division or the families.”

Trustee Lorraine McConnell said she considered the decision from a parent’s perspective.

“If my own child were about to embark on this adventure, it would be difficult, but I would not let them go,” she said. “If I feel it is too volatile and unpredictable in the world for my own children to travel, then I shouldn’t think it’s OK for other people’s children.”

Trustee Kirk Carr described the trip as a unique opportunity for students but said the risks are currently too high.

“This would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many students,” Carr said. “But safety needs to be the priority, and unfortunately, the risk is just too high right now.”

Board chair Linda Ross agreed with the trustees and said the board has the responsibility to ensure students’ safety.

“It is simply too risky a situation for us to allow these trips to go forward,” Ross said. “As difficult as this is, we have a responsibility toward our students.”

Gustafson told trustees that the security environment in parts of Europe has become increasingly uncertain due to expanding conflict involving multiple countries.

He noted warnings from the international police agency Interpol about an elevated terrorism threat in Europe.

“The conflict has widened beyond the United States and Israel, and Iran has issued warnings to European governments not to become involved in the war,” Gustafson said.

He also referenced reported drone and missile strikes targeting a United Kingdom military base in Cyprus, bringing hostilities geographically closer to Greece.

As a result, several European governments have increased security measures, including heightened protections at airports, transportation hubs and other public spaces, he said.

“While there is currently no direct threat to tourism in countries such as Greece, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the overall level of risk has increased,” he said.

“The increased risk is due to potential proxy or retaliatory attacks linked to the conflict, disruptions in travel, or disruptions to itineraries due to security issues or demonstrations.”

Because the situation is evolving quickly, Gustafson said it is difficult to predict whether conditions would improve before the trip’s scheduled departure or during the time students would be overseas.

Senior administration said it is working with an insurance company to address reimbursement.

The trip to Greece had originally been proposed in March 2024 for students in Grades 9 to 12. Trustees had approved the trip during its Nov. 24, 2025 general meeting.

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