Nearly 30 Duluth East students reroute Egypt trip after State Department warnings

Lee Kruger, a social studies teacher at Duluth East High School, said school leaders rerouted nearly 30 students who had been preparing for a spring trip to Egypt because the geopolitical situation in the Middle East was judged too risky. The decision came in early March 2026, and the original Egypt itinerary had been in the works for two years.

The Egypt trip had been planned as a 10 day journey, but school leaders moved quickly to arrange an alternative on roughly the same schedule. Kruger said the substitute plan stays on the same length and timeline: “Ultimately we got an alternative trip on short notice. So we are now going to same timeline in three weeks where we’ve pivoted to Germany and, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I think it’s going to be a good alternative,” Kruger said.

Kruger emphasized that the swap was intended to prioritize student safety while preserving the travel experience families bought into: “Safety is ultimately the top priority. It was supposed to be a 10 day trip to Egypt. Our trip is still going to be 10 days and there’s no extra costs. So it’s, it’s kind of a one for one. It’s obviously not our first choice, but this is a great alternative.”

Despite the late change, Kruger said most Duluth East High Schoolers are still going on the replacement Europe trip, and only “a handful of students and parents have decided to no longer participate in the trip.” The school reported no additional costs to families for the switch, but did not provide an exact head count beyond the description “nearly 30” students.

The reroute followed a series of U.S. Department of State travel notices and what WDIO described as caution prompted by the recent conflict involving Iran. WDIO reported that the State Department’s Travel Advisory for Egypt remains at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, while the department maintains Do Not Travel guidance for the Northern and Middle Sinai and parts of the Western Desert. WDIO also reported the U.S. Embassy Cairo is open and operating normally.

Key logistical details remain unconfirmed publicly: the exact number of students who had enrolled, the tour operator handling the original Egypt itinerary and the Europe substitution, and the precise departure and return dates beyond Kruger’s reference to a timeline about three weeks after the early March decision. School leaders cited safety as the reason for the change; Duluth East families and community members now face a rebooked 10 day Europe trip that school officials say preserves the experience without extra cost.