School trips remain uncertain

AG Mike DeWine said his office has received more than 170 complaints about Discovery Tours since May 2.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a May 4 statement that his office has received more than 170 complaints about Discovery Tours since May 2.

Mentor’s eighth-grade trip to Washington recently was canceled because Discovery Tours was unable to receive final confirmation for the students’ hotel rooms.

There were 511 Mentor students who each paid $455 to go on this trip.

“Like many schools and families, we are very concerned about what’s happening with Discovery Tours and we want answers,” DeWine said.

“As we gather information, I want Ohioans to know that this is a priority for my office, and we will do everything we can to assist. We want to hear from Ohioans who have used this company.”

His office’s Consumer Protection Section is reaching out to potentially affected school districts and gathering information from consumers. Affected consumers are encouraged to file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Complaints may be filed online on the Ohio Attorney General’s website or by calling the Attorney General’s Help Center between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 800-282-0515. The office also has created a special complaint form that schools and individuals may use; however, using the special form is not required, and those who have already filed complaints do not need to file again.

A second Lake County school district has been impacted by financial issues involving Discovery Tours.

Riverside Schools has joined a growing number of school districts throughout the state that are having problems with the Mayfield Village-based travel business.

School officials confirmed that most of the fees for the busing, hotels and activities associated with the LaMuth Middle School’s upcoming seventh-grade class trip to Chicago scheduled for May 9-11 have not been paid for by Discovery Tours.

More than 200 middleschoolers pre-paid $520 each — a total of $110,000 — for the trip.

The district says Discovery Tours did not pay the remaining balances for Lakefront Lines, the Doubletree Hotel in Chicago or the activities planned at Medieval Times, 360, Wrigley Field, Shedd Aquarium, Connie’s Pizza and the Science Museum, according to a news release.

The board is discussing options on how to move forward, and the district will look to notify parents over the weekend, the release states.

“This situation has been a significant disappointment to all of us. The district — as well as most school districts throughout Northeast Ohio — has been using Discovery Tours for decades and have never experienced any notable issues,” said Superintendent James Kalis. “We are in contact with our legal counsel to investigate what recourse may be available to the district. We thank all of the parents for their patience and understanding throughout this difficult situation.”

A call was not immediately returned from Discovery Tours. The company also has recently removed its Facebook and Twitter pages.