SEQUIM — Officials from the school district say they probably would not support the use of taxpayer dollars to send district employees or School Board members on trips to Sequim’s Japanese sister city.

Stopping short of an actual guarantee, all four board members who were queried on the issue said they generally opposed using public money to finance trips to the sister city of Yamasaki.

“I don’t feel it’s legitimate, but I would have to know the circumstances first,” School Board President June Robinson said.

Board members Sarah Bedinger, Dave Blake and Suzi Schmidt also said they would be unlikely to approve expenditures, such as those committed by the Port Angeles School District board late last year.

Sequim board member Elna Kawal is out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Sister city relationships between U.S. and Japanese cities are widespread, and several cities in Washington maintain them — including Port Angeles and Port Townsend.

Student exchange trips are often connected with the program, but students have traditionally paid their own travel expenses.

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The rest of the story appears in Thursday’s Peninsula Daily News.