Sorry folks but this is not a noble effort by Fuentes. It's petty bureaucracy. The Spanish teacher upbraided him at the Board meeting several weeks ago and this is simply spite covered with noble sounding intentions. Anyone who thinks that these bureaucrats, be they Democrat or Republican, operate on noble principle need to have their heads checked. I happen to know one of the people involved who told me by phone the bigger picture. The Board is acting childish since they allow all kinds of other programs. I bet if we looked at the website we'd find programs in China or France. By the way, the students pay the full cost for the trip, not the college district.
Actually, the story says that the district approved trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, China (!), and New Zealand. And even trips to Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.