Wolf Creek Public Schools Superintendent Jayson Lovell (at table, right), signs an agreement in spring 2018 that would allow students to participate in exchanges with the local school division in Guangzhou, China. (Supplied/Wolf Creek Public Schools)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

global health emergency

Coronavirus could halt exchange trip to China for central Alberta students

Jan 30, 2020 | 2:36 PM

The coronavirus — declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization on Thursday — may force Wolf Creek Public Schools to cancel an upcoming exchange trip to China.

The trip scheduled for March 12-26 in Guangzhou, China involves approximately 20 students and four staff, according to Jayson Lovell, superintendent of schools.

The students are in grades 8-12 at nine schools, including Lacombe Composite High School, Rimbey Jr./Sr. High, Alix Mac, BRICK Outreach, Ponoka Secondary, Lacombe Jr. Eckville Jr./Sr. High, Iron Ridge Jr. and Crestomere School.

“The trip is part of a reciprocal exchange we have with our sister school division there. This is a trip that was planned many, many months ago,” says Lovell. “We still, at this point, have the trip planned, but we are monitoring very closely and very carefully, and will be making a decision about that trip in the very near future.”

Lovell says the window for the school division to avoid losing money on flights and other expenses is closing very rapidly, forcing them to make a decision sooner rather than later.

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Additionally up in the air is an inbound trip of students from China to central Alberta scheduled for this April. There are currently no students from China at Wolf Creek schools, Lovell says.

“It’s a very fluid situation, and we recognize that the safety of our staff and students is always of the highest priority,” he adds. “We certainly are keeping a close watch on the Canadian government’s information and also from Alberta Health, so there’s lots of consultation.”

Lovell says there have been no concerns brought to him directly from students, staff or parents, but notes there is a trust which exists that those parties will be kept apprised of the situation.

Students planning to attend each pay around $2000 for the trip, with the rest subsidized. Those students are all part of an International Learning Program run by the division.

Lovell notes that he has been authorized by the board of trustees — which would normally make decisions on international travel — to make changes himself, if necessary.

Red Deer Public Schools, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, and Chinook’s Edge School Division all tell rdnewsNOW they do not have trips planned to China or that region in the near future.

Red Deer Catholic has an exchange trip to Japan planned for 2021.