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Marblehead High School students delayed in Paris following their February break trip to Spain and Morocco are expected to return home Friday, Superintendent John Robidoux said during Thursday night’s School Committee meeting.
The group — estimated at 32 to 34 students and chaperones — had been scheduled to return the previous weekend but remained overseas after severe weather disrupted their connecting flights. The students have been in Paris since Sunday awaiting rebooking.
Robidoux told the committee that the tour company has absorbed the cost of additional hotel stays, flight changes, and breakfast and dinner during the extended stay. Families were responsible for lunches and certain incidental expenses. He said he does not anticipate any significant financial impact to the district or town.
The trip package, approved unanimously by the School Committee in May 2025, included medical insurance and evacuation coverage. During the original presentation last spring, organizers said medical and evacuation insurance were included, along with optional cancel-for-any-reason coverage.
One student misplaced a passport while abroad. Robidoux said arrangements were made with the U.S. embassy for an emergency replacement, and that student is expected to return on a subsequent flight once documentation is secured.
“At no point was anyone in danger,” School Committee Chair Al Williams said during the meeting. “Although the delay getting back is unfortunate, our superintendent worked with and communicated appropriately with all parties.”
While district leadership emphasized that students were safe and the situation was being managed, the conversation shifted to a disagreement over internal communication and oversight.
School Committee member Jennifer Schaeffner said she learned of the delay from a member of the public rather than through formal notification. She said that given the international nature of the trip and the length of the delay, she believed the full elected committee should have been informed.
“My concern is the safety of the children,” Schaeffner said. “Their safety is my first and foremost concern.
She also raised questions about financial arrangements during the delay, asking who was making the outlay for housing and food and whether there could be any financial ramifications for the town.
Williams responded that he had been briefed by the superintendent but determined the situation did not rise to the level of an emergency requiring full committee notification.
“It didn’t meet the criteria of an emergency,” Williams said, adding that operational matters fall within the superintendent’s authority unless safety is compromised.
Schaeffner disagreed, arguing that an overseas delay involving minors should be treated as an extraordinary circumstance. She suggested the committee may need clearer expectations regarding when members are notified about incidents involving international travel.
Under Marblehead’s school-sponsored field trip policy, international travel requires prior approval from the principal, superintendent and School Committee. The policy states that in the event of an emergency, the sponsoring faculty member must notify the school principal as soon as possible. The committee also reserves the right to cancel or recall a trip in progress if security concerns warrant action.
The Spain-Morocco trip was approved 5–0 last spring following a presentation outlining the itinerary, insurance coverage and chaperone arrangements.
As of Thursday night, Robidoux said the students were preparing to depart Paris and are expected to arrive in Massachusetts on Friday. He expressed appreciation for the staff and chaperones managing the situation overseas and said he would provide further updates if circumstances change.
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