The Queen Creek school board did not approve an overseas trip Tuesday, citing safety and liability concerns, for three high school sophomores who qualified for a world academic competition in South Korea.

Q.C. board weighs Korean trip for scholars

However, the board members did encourage the Queen Creek High School students to go on the trip on their own. The students were not asking the school board for money to go on the trip. They had planned to do the fundraising on their own.

The students — Trevor Williams, Dylan Heimer and Kara Karaniuk — and Matthew Chicci, the academic decathalon assistant coach, pleaded their case at Tuesday’s meeting of the Queen Creek Unified School District governing board.

After the ruling, Chicci said he wasn’t sure yet if the students would go on the trip; he did not want to comment on the students’ plans.

“I think it went very well,” he said. “The kids got the representation that they deserved. They should be proud of themselves.”

The board voted 4-1 against approving the trip. Board member Monte Nevitt was the lone dissenter, saying he was not prepared to vote either way.

Board Vice President Jeff Black said the vote should not discourage the students from going.

“You help us put Queen Creek on the map,” he said. “If there is some other way you can go, that would be wonderful.”

Superintendent James Murrless said if the district sponsored the trip it would be liable for anything that happened.

Two parents said they are behind the trip and have no fears for their children’s safety.

Karaniuk’s dad, Tim, said he plans on going with the students because his daughter will be the only girl in the group.

“I think this is an opportunity they should not pass up,” he said. “I’ve traveled extensively overseas and have never had any safety issues. I am 100 percent behind them doing this.”

The teens were concerned they would not get a chance to represent their school.

The students now have to raise money for traveling expenses, and two of them need to get expedited passports.

If they go, the students would attend the World Scholar’s Cup World Finals on May 30 to June 1 in Seoul, South Korea.

They would leave May 29 after finals on the last day of school.

They would be competing against teams from 10 countries, including Japan, India and Australia.

The team qualified for the competition after placing 11th in the national competition in Tucson on April 19.

They competed against 22 teams from across the country.

The competition, similar to an academic decathlon, covers areas that include essays, math, history, literature and economics.

Eight other Valley teams qualified for the world competition, including Mountain View and Westwood high schools in Mesa.

The Mesa teams will not be attending the competition, however, because the teams couldn’t get the trip on their board’s agenda in time to meet the deadline.

The Queen Creek group has to raise about $8,000 for expenses.

Fundraisers are in the works.

Those interested in donating can send checks to Queen Creek High School, with Academic Decathlon in the memo field, at 22149 E. Ocotillo Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85242.