Several Central Florida school districts cancel air-travel field trips for students amid coronavirus concerns

In the wake of the global outbreak of COVID-19, the coronavirus, a growing list of Central Florida school districts have canceled air-travel field trips for students.

Channel 9 is tracking the developments county-by-county. Keep reading to see the latest updates from local school districts:

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All student field trips involving air travel have been suspended immediately, effective Tuesday, in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia county school districts officials said. That suspension is in effect through the end of the school year.

“Following a call with the Florida Commissioner of Education this morning and based on his strong recommendations, all school board approved student fieldtrips involving air travel will be suspended immediately through the end of the current school year,” officials from each of the districts said in their announcements.

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In Volusia County, officials said the suspension impacts four field trips by air that have been canceled.

In Orange County, officials said four field trips in March will be canceled if alternative modes of transportation cannot be found, including two for Boone High students, one for East River High students, and one for Oak Ridge High students.

Marion County Schools said it does not have any students flying on field trips at this time. Officials said some Marion County students are traveling on school trips by bus to Washington, D.C. and New York and that those trips are going forward because, the district said, “those areas are not high transmittal areas according to the Centers for Disease Control.”

But officials said all Marion County field trips are subject to cancellation at any time by the superintendent.

As of Monday, Lake County Schools officials told Channel 9 they planned on going forward with bus field trips to Washington, D.C. If that changes, this story will be updated.

Lake County school officials said one trip in April, involving 47 students from East Ridge High to a conference in Nashville, has been canceled so far.

Flagler County Schools said it does not have any school groups planning to travel by air in the next couple months. Officials said they continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and will re-evaluate out-of-state student group travel as needed.

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Channel 9 is also reaching out to the remaining Central Florida school districts for updates.

Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for the latest.

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