As coronavirus cases climb across the D.C. region last month, unfortunately the PYLUSD school board has suspended our 2022 Performance Tour to Washington DC, related to concerns about air travel in our current environment. Fortunately, the administration is, however, permitting your group to continue with a Performance Tour to a destination within close proximity, reachable by bussing.
San Francisco has been selected as an alternative destination for our group. San Francisco is one of our favorite Performance Touring destinations, and one that has been deemed acceptable by our administration.
Moving forward, please see a couple of the options we discussed, along with some notes:
1. End the school year on a positive note and pivot to San Francisco!
a. Going this route would allow us to deliver a trip to those students who have been waiting for so long (some kids on your list were likely postponed from the 2021 DC trip). It’s a great student destination, too, so a lot of fun and a way to end this year on a Good Note! This is actually where I took my first band on their Spring trip, and it was a darn good time.
b. A trip to San Francisco is also a lot less expensive than a trip to Washington DC, which means we may be able to get some money back in the families’ pocket by refunding the difference. Final pricing details to be confirmed, and based on numbers, but simply as an example: The DC trip came in at $1798 per student. Current estimates have the San Francisco trip coming in at $1198. This would mean a potential refund of up to $600 for families that have already paid in full!!
2. Reschedule/Postpone the Washington DC trip to 2023 –
a. Accounts from this year’s 2022 DC trip will automatically shift to next year’s 2023 trip, and those that remain ‘on account’ with us will not be assessed a cancellation fee. Understanding that seniors would no longer be a part of your school and would not even have the option to transfer their funds to the postponed trip, as an exception to our standard non-refundable deposit policy ($150), EDT will accommodate and refund the deposits on those accounts.
b. If there were any underclassmen who eventually wanted to individually cancel from the trip, they would cancel in the same fashion as a standard cancellation and be subject to the original terms.
Please find a proposed itinerary and respond to the google survey form if you have not done so already.
We acknowledge the inconvenience, but as we have done for much of the last two years, we will continue to roll with the punches and make the best choices for our students and our program going forward.