Wilmington School Committee Approves 2027 NYC Middle School Trip Unanimously

WILMINGTON — January 14, 2026 — Wilmington School Committee unanimously approves 2027 New York City middle school field trip and previews athletic trainer budget ask. The committee voted 6-0 Wednesday to approve a four-day eighth-grade trip to New York City in April 2027 organized through Education First at $1,499 per student — a price locked only through this Friday — after teacher Ms. Prendaville reported more than 200 interested families; travel would be by Amtrak during April break with meals, a Broadway show, and a service-learning component included. Athletic Director Ingram made the case for converting the school's contracted trainer position into a full-time school-based employee at an anticipated starting salary of $70,000 to $80,000, up from the current contracted cost of just under $50,000, warning that the current staffing agency, Professional, "might fold the entire program" if it loses another school contract — a scenario that would leave the district scrambling to cover legally mandated trainer presence at football, wrestling, and hockey events. Burlington High School, with comparable enrollment, employs four trainers. The committee also heard from students and teachers on five new high school courses launched this year, including a History of Wilmington elective that filled three sections with 63 students and a Journalism course producing a student newspaper; Principal Gendron teased a standalone AI elective proposal coming at the January 21 budget meeting.