SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Parents of Seminole County Public School students were fired up Tuesday amid confusion over a “ban” on out-of-state student travel.
A March 23 email sent by Assistant Superintendent Mike Rice said in part, “Due to budgetary considerations, all out-of-state overnight trips starting this summer will not be approved.”
That outraged dozens of parents who attended the April 14 school board meeting.
“What the superintendent and the board decided to do is steal the opportunity from future students,” said Bryan Zimmerman, a former SCPS student.
Delaney Sloane, a volleyball player and rising senior at Oveida High School, said the district canceled a school trip she and her team were slated to take to Hawaii.
“This opportunity truly does represent everything that we’ve worked for,” Sloane told board members during the public comments portion of the meeting.
“I do ask that you reevaluate your previous position and work together to come to the best possible conclusion,” Sloane said.
But late Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for SCPS said in a statement there was no ban on out-of-state student travel. The school board later confirmed that statement.
School Board Vice Chair Autumn Garick confirmed the Oveida Volleyball Teams’ canceled Hawaii trip is “under review.”
The district is looking to resize its school budget because of declining enrollment and reduced funding from and the state and federal government.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
