SCHOOL DISTRICT SUSPENDS TRIP TO MEXICO

The violence that has spread through Mexico since President Felipe
Calderon launched a national crackdown against the drug cartels in
2006 and the current economy has had unintended consequences closer to
home.

A group of Whitfield County Schools students set to travel to the
northern Mexican city of Monterrey in the fall as part of a student
exchange program had to suspend the trip this year due to safety and
financial concerns.

"There's so much going on, there's just a lot with the economy and
travel alerts, so the (Whitfield County Schools) system decided not to
participate this year," said Amy Haynes, school improvement
coordinator for the school district.

"Obviously we are saddened by that because it's a great opportunity
for our kids, but everyone seems to be very understanding," she said.

During a recent school board meeting, board members tabled a
fundraising request to help Southeast High School students with the
expenses of the trip.

School district officials were concerned about the safety of students
who would travel to Monterrey, Ms. Haynes said. The U.S. State
Department has issued a travel advisory for anyone traveling to Mexico.

Since President Calderon took office, drug cartels have unleashed an
unprecedented wave of violence and more than 11,000 people have been
killed in drug-related violence nationwide, the Associated Press reported.

Although Monterrey has not seen the level of violence in some border
cities, such as Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana, last year gunmen fired shots
and threw a grenade, which didn't explode, at the U.S. consulate in
Monterrey.

Student Amanda Calfee, who planned to go on the trip, said safety is
important to her, but she had hoped school district officials would
let the students go.

"I've talked to a bunch of my friends in Mexico and they say the
violence stuff happens more in border towns," said the 17-year-old
senior at Northwest High School.

Ms. Calfee and her two siblings hosted Monterrey students in the past
as part of the program, which came out of the Georgia Project, an
effort to support local schools in meeting the needs of Hispanic students.

Dylan Bledsoe, also a Northwest High School student who hosted a
Mexican student in April, said safety was important to him but he
didn't agree completely with the district's decision.

"I'm really disappointed that they won't let us go, we can't always
live in fear," said the 16-year-old junior.

Ms. Haynes said they will revisit the issue next year.

"I do think we'll keep that relationship with Monterrey and hopefully
when all of the stuff turns around we'll be able to get it going
again," she said.

[sidebar]

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

* The Georgia Project, founded in 1996, brought educators to Whitfield
County to help schools meet the needs of Hispanic students.

* When the project lost federal funding in 2007, school officials
decided to continue with a student exchange program.

* This year, district officials suspended the student exchange trip
for safety reasons.