School systems in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties have lifted their moratoriums on field trips and other student transportation to and from Baltimore as of Wednesday, the first suburban school systems to ease restrictions on student travel to the city in the wake of unrest there.
Moratoriums had been in place since the April 27 riot connected to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Baltimore resident who died after suffering a spinal cord injury while in police custody.
Other local jurisdictions still have bans in place, though perhaps not for long. Carroll County school officials initially imposed a ban through May 8, and Tuesday a school system spokeswoman confirmed trips would resume beginning Monday — unless additional incidents occur.
In Harford County, school spokeswoman Jillian Lader said in an email that field trips to Baltimore are also canceled through the end of the week, though "we will continue to monitor and evaluate." Howard County school officials could not be reached for comment.
Along with field trips, many schools canceled or moved proms that had been scheduled for venues in the city. In Arundel, lifting the travel ban allows proms to continue, but in some cases it's too late.
Chesapeake and Glen Burnie high schools were scheduled to hold proms this weekend at M&T Bank Stadium, but in a letter to parents, Chesapeake Principal Steve Gorski said students opted instead to have their prom at another location to eliminate "any possible distractions."
In Carroll, two proms have also been relocated. Liberty and Century high schools were set to have their proms May 9 in Baltimore, but both have since found new locations, according to spokeswoman Brenda Bowers.
Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Bowie contributed to this story.