HEBRON – A planned sixth-grade class outing came to a sudden halt Monday night when SAD 17 directors tabled a decision to permit the trip after parents and the teacher disagreed on the destination.

Parents of four of the 13 sixth-grade students at Hebron Station School appeared at the director’s meeting to express displeasure over what they say was their children’s teacher’s “blatant disregard” for their wishes. Hebron Station School is a kindergarten through grade six school with about 110 students.

Richard Feely, whose daughter is one of the 13 students slated to go on the end-of-the-year trip, and other parents at the meeting told directors that sixth-grade teacher Sharon Johnson left parents in charge of planning and fundraising for the trip that was originally scheduled to go to Montreal, Canada. When an issue about obtaining both parents’ permission to cross the border threatened to keep at least one child from attending the trip, parents decided to go south instead, to Mystic, Conn.

Feely said that one day before a parents meeting was planned for last Tuesday to make the final preparations, the sixth-grade students were sent home with a message from their teacher. Connecticut was out and Canada was back on.

“We were kicked under the carpet by her,” said parent Tom Glover. “Her actions appalled me.”

Discussion about the teacher’s alleged actions was cut off quickly by the directors Chairman Ronald Kugell, who reminded parents that the teacher was not at the meeting to defend herself.

Attempts by the Sun Journal to contact Johnson at her Otisfield home Monday night were unsuccessful.

Principal Nathan Merrill told the board that no deposits have been made and hotel accommodations that have been reserved can be canceled at this point.

Merrill defended the Canada trip, saying it was well planned and educational, connecting to both social studies and science curriculum.

Previous sixth-grade overnight trips have been to Camp Susan Curtis in Stoneham, Curtis Island and Boston.

School Superintendent Mark Eastman, who was recommending the trip to Canada prior to the parent’s comments, said directors could table the vote until their April 23 meeting, which would be after another parent’s meeting, or approve the trip pending the outcome of the parent’s meeting. A majority of directors voted to table the decision.

Waterford Director William Hanger said he was concerned that parents came to the meeting to talk about their frustrations with the process. “There’s something going on here that has reached us that never does,” he said of the apparent rare occurrence that parents come before the board with such concerns.

Hebron Director Elizabeth Swift said the problem was “a very big issue.”

“They took an alternative course. The parents have done all the fundraising, all the ground work. The frustration comes when they were not taken…..” she said before being cut off by the chairman, who said he was concerned about Swift crossing into personnel matters, which could not be discussed in public session.

After the meeting, two parents said they would not send their children to Canada, including one who was unable to get permission from her child’s father. Others were still thinking about their action.

When asked what parents were looking for from the teacher, Feely said, “I’d be happy with an apology.”