Detroit students' spring break saved after mix-up with travel agency

Detroit Mumford High School seniors will go on spring break trip after nearly losing money in travel agency mix-up

DETROIT – Raven McBrayer is the senior class president at Detroit Mumford High School. She was in charge of the senior trip for spring break.

The students had it all planned out. The travel agency Dixon Transportation and Travel planned a four-day stay full of fun on Boyne Mountain. It cost $235 for each student.

"It's a senior class of over 200 and only 20 kids could afford to go," McBrayer said.

The students were to leave Monday. However, school administrators say they had not heard from the travel agency in weeks. They called Blue Green on Boyne on Thursday to check on the reservation only to find out there wasn't one.

The travel agency owner, Raymone Dixon, was nowhere to be found, until late Thursday afternoon. Dixon told Local 4 a new employee made the reservation on the wrong date.

"There was a mix-up in the date because this not the only trip that I'm doing," he said.

Blue Green said a reservation was made under Dixon Transportation, but it was for May. Court records show Dixon has been in hot water before. Local 4 found several other complaints and civil suits against Dixon and his travel agency.

Fortunately, Tyrone Winfrey, the head of staff at the Education Achievement Authority, stepped in and paid for the students' trip, saving their spring break.

"They are scheduled to go. I went to Mumford High School myself this morning and got all the facts, and later this morning the chancellor decided we are going to fix this. We are going to pay for it from our general funds to make sure these students go on their senior trip," Winfrey said.