Government shutdown cancels D.C. trip for top Dallas students
A government shutdown has forced the cancellation of a high-level educational trip for top-performing seniors at International Leadership of Texas.
As the government shutdown continues, its impact is being felt by students in the Dallas area.
The International Leadership of Texas says it has canceled a trip to Washington, D.C., where students were scheduled to meet with national and international leaders and visit historic landmarks.
Top seniors miss rare opportunity
Carlos Carrasco and Abigail Mangove, both high school seniors, were among 32 students set to travel to the capital for a 10-day trip beginning Sunday. The trip was canceled due to the shutdown—and it wasn't just any sightseeing tour.
"It's not just to visit monuments. It's not only to just sightsee, it's to actually see how the government works," said Carrasco.
"And part of that was visiting the Chinese Embassy, the State Department, the Pentagon. Those are places where people may visit, but they don't get to actually see what's going on," Mangove said.
Leaders pull out amid shutdown
Superintendent Eddie Conger said students were scheduled to interact with national and international leaders.
"We received an email from Senator Cornyn's office, that the panel that was going to be hosted there in the Senate conference room, we were not able to do. Then we got an email from the State Department," Conger said.
With the shutdown affecting federal employees, the school was told it could no longer be supported in its itinerary.
Trip was reward for top students
The trip was intended as a reward for seniors who rank in the top 4% of their class.
"I was excited of course for the trip. It was something I was excited to see firsthand—how things work at the Naval Academy, how they function in Congress. Everything like that would have been so exciting to see," Carrasco said.
The school is now working to reschedule the trip for February or March of next year.