By THOMAS LUCKIE III

OGDENSBURG -- A proposal for a combined high school field trip to Québec City along with students from the Heuvelton Central School District was approved by the Ogdensburg City School District Board of Education at Monday's meeting.

The three-day trip scheduled from May 5 through May 7, 2017 will be open to students enrolled in high school French classes in both districts.

Ogdensburg Free Academy French teacher Jonathan Lomaki, who worked with Heuvelton Central foreign language teacher Sarah Hopper to coordinate the field trip, presented information to the board.

"Québec City is a beautiful place and they speak a lot more French than in Montréal," Lomaki said.

"If you speak French and you're in Québec City, they will speak French to you."

When asked by the board about a potential trip to France for high school French students, Lomaki stated that recent attempts to organize such a trip have drawn insufficient student interest, mostly due to the high cost of Transatlantic airfares.

Lomaki also said that a proposal for a merged trip to France along with Heuvelton Central students was denied by the Heuvelton Central Board of Education and cited safety concerns as one reason for the board's denial.

The trip to Québec City, which includes round-trip transportation, a tour leader, lodging, security and more, is estimated to cost no more than $455 per student based on quadruple occupancy and a total student count of under 45.

Four complimentary chaperones are also included and optional fees based on double and single room supplements may be applied to the price.

The trip's itinerary features stops at the city's tallest building, the Observatoire de la Capitale, the historic Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Montmorency Falls, which is the highest falls in the province and higher than Niagara Falls, among other sights.

Lomaki noted that while he was cautious about offering the trip to students before approval by the board, 10 to 15 OFA students had expressed initial interest.