Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Middle School’s annual eighth grade field trip to Washington, D.C., has been canceled for the first time since 2020, when it was canceled due to pre-cautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been concerns about the current climate of Washington, D.C., and taking students there. Additionally, Shannon Puckett, a main leader of the trip and an eighth grade humanities teacher at King, has been dealing with personal issues that have inhibited her ability to lead it.
“I think with the state of Washington, D.C. right now, with the National Guard, and just a lot of safety questions that we have to take really seriously ... (canceling the trip) is such a complicated choice,” said Sarah Mccarthy, a current sixth grade counselor and former eighth grade counselor, “Washington, D.C., is very unpredictable right now.”
In early August of 2025, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. in response to what he called a “public safety emergency.” The National Guard is a state-based military force that primarily assists with natural disasters and civic unrest. They are under both their state governor and the President’s command. They also act as the federal combat reserve for overseas missions and national defense. The National Guard in Washington, D.C. became authorized to carry firearms only a few weeks after being deployed in Washington, D.C. As of right now, they will be deployed until Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, but it is unclear if they will return.
In recent years, MLK Middle School had begun to offer an alternative option to the Washington, D.C. trip: a trip to the Pali Institute in the San Bernardino forest, an outdoor education program that offers a variety of activities. This option was formerly offered in place of the Washington, D.C. trip for students who were not interested in the rigorous history and government work that accompanies the Washington, D.C. trip. The Pali alternative, however, has also been cancelled due to logistical issues.
MLK Middle School has traditionally strived to offer generous amounts of financial aid in order to allow every single student with interest in participating a chance to go, regardless of their family’s financial situation. King previously did this through the entire grade fundraising throughout the school year leading up to the trips. Fundraising was accomplished through bake sales, car washes, a massive raffle, and a fundraising night at Spats, a bar on Shattuck Avenue.
When this year’s eighth graders entered their first week of school, many were excited to get started on the fundraising for their trip.
Juno Khanna, a current eighth grader at MLK Middle School, first heard about the change in plans during a classroom visit from eighth grade Vice Principal Jess Mould, who was introducing herself to Khanna’s class and going over the standard King rules. Khanna said, “Some kid raised their hand at the end and was like, ‘So when are we going to start fundraising for the Washington, D.C. trip?’” Mould responded that this year would be different and that students would find out more information at a later school assembly.
Former MLK Middle School eighth graders have expressed their shock and sadness at the trips being canceled. Charles Loeper, a sophomore at Berkeley High School and former MLK Middle School student, spoke about the empathy he feels for the current eighth graders. “I’d be pretty saddened, just because I know that trip meant a lot to me, and yeah, that would be unfortunate for that to be taken away from them,” Loeper said.
Mccarthy also said that the eighth grade team is working hard behind the scenes to create an alternative option. While she herself is not working with the eighth grade class this year, she talked about the work that the team is doing to try to offer an alternative.
“I think the eighth grade team is working really, really hard to create a new opportunity ... So the commitment and the hope is to have a different experience available for eighth grade,” Mccarthy said. MLK Middle School has yet to release an official statement on what they are going to do instead of the Washington, D.C. and Pali trips. Current eighth graders remain with little information about what will replace the trips. MLK Middle School staff are currently still working to design an alternative experience for students that are interested.