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'It is what it is:' After almost 2 days on bus to Orlando, Plainfield students ordered to turn back

Plainfield students feel coronavirus impact firsthand
Posted at 8:19 AM, Mar 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-13 08:19:39-04

PLAINFIELD — The new normal when it comes to travel and public gatherings caused show choir students from Plainfield to take an unexpected and very long road trip. Those students were supposed to be in Florida, but now they're finally back home.

Imagine spending almost two full days on a bus, simply to come back to where you started.

Plainfield High School students tell us that's what happened to them, as the impact of the coronavirus interrupted this trip that had long been planned and cost the school district tens of thousands of dollars.

READ | Coronavirus in Indiana: Everything you need to know |

Students left for Orlando on Wednesday night for an all-night trip to a show choir event at Universal Studios.

Just about two hours from their destination, the buses were ordered by the school district to turn around and come back to Plainfield because of new directives related to coronavirus. Approximately 150 people, including students and professional musicians, were on the trip.

RTV6 was there when they finally arrived home around 2 a.m. on Friday morning (watch the video above). Some were disappointed, but they also understood the need for safety.

Some parents RTV6 talked with had already flown down to Orlando to meet their kids.

The Plainfield School Board issued an apology for the situation.

Students had told the newsroom that they each paid $900 for the trip, and it was not refundable.

RTV6 is still waiting to find out whether, given the circumstances, they might be able to get their money back.