2340 - DISTRICT-SPONSORED TRIPS
The Board recognizes the value of organized trips or other excursions away from the classroom as a valuable part of the District's educational programming and a valuable opportunity to obtain additional educational experiences not offered directly in the curriculum offerings. These opportunities occur in four (4) primary forms addressed in this policy: (a) field trips; (b) extra-curricular/co-curricular program-related trips; (c) overnight trips; and (d) other District-sponsored trips.
Field Trips
The Board recognizes that field trips, when used for teaching and learning integral to the curriculum, are an educationally sound and important ingredient in the instructional program of the schools. For purposes of this policy, a field trip shall be defined as any planned journey by one (1) or more students away from District premises, which is under the supervision of a professional staff member, approved by Administration and furthers or supplements an integral part of a course of study as planned for and incorporated into that course of study by the teacher. Properly planned and executed field trips should:
- supplement and enrich classroom procedures by providing learning experiences in an environment outside the schools;
- help students relate school experiences to the reality of the world outside of school;
- bring the resources of the community - natural, artistic, industrial, commercial, governmental, educational - within the student's learning experience;
- afford students the opportunity to study real things and real processes in their actual environment.
Out-of-state field trips that do not include an overnight stay must be approved by the Board.
Extra-Curricular/Co-Curricular Trips
The Board recognizes that student trips will occur for reasons that are not directly incorporated into the curriculum as part of a class, but rather are part of the extra-curricular/co-curricular activities offered by the District. For example, a District athletic team may travel to away games, or take a trip to an out-of-town tournament. Any such trips must be identified at the beginning of the activity for the school year, or for the particular season. Extra-curricular or co-curricular trips shall be approved by the athletic director in accordance with the same procedures used for approving field trips. In cases where such advance notice is not possible (such as travel to State tournament competition), the staff member responsible for such activity shall notify the athletic director of the activity and pertinent information.
Extra-curricular trips that extend to an overnight stay are considered overnight travel, other than WIAA athletic teams participating in State tournaments/meets.
Overnight Travel
Overnight travel is defined as a field trip that involves one or more overnight stays. The District views overnight travel outside of the District related to the curriculum/program as an adjunct to that curriculum/program. As such it is an important feature of the overall educational program. The District recognizes the importance of overnight travel outside of the District to amplify and enhance studies that occur in the schools' classrooms through unique enrichment opportunities that are not available locally. Overnight travel shall first be approved by the Principal in accordance with the District's overnight travel guidelines.
International field trips present special considerations that need to be taken into account when planning these activities. The Board must approve these trips to be considered District-sponsored trips. The Board will only approve international field trips that are affiliated with a sponsoring or commercial organization that specializes in international travel and that are responsible for establishing the cost of such programs and for collecting payment directly from participating students or their parents.
Approval of international travel shall also take into account travel warnings for Americans to avoid travel to specified countries. These warnings are issued by the United States Department of State based on current conditions around the world and are updated as deemed necessary.
Other District-Sponsored Trips
Other District-sponsored trips shall be defined as any planned, student-travel activity which is approved as part of the District's total educational program, but not a part of a particular course and not expressly connected to an established extra-curricular/co-curricular activity. These trips may include such trips as summer trip programs, youth service trips, and other types of day trips that are organized by or through school staff or facilitated in some fashion through the District.
Trip Approval Process
No staff member may offer or lead any trip as a District-sponsored trip unless the trip has been approved in the manner prescribed in this policy.
Any staff member may propose a trip by presenting details of the proposed trip to the principal.
Proposals shall include the details of the trip, the cost of the trip, identify any third party entities that will be involved in the trip, identify the curriculum-based purpose of the trip, identify what students will be eligible to participate, and any other pertinent information. If overnight, the proposal must describe how accommodations will be provided and how such arrangements will be properly supervised.
General Trip Provisions
The Board shall assume the costs of field trips; no regularly enrolled student shall be charged a fee for participation in field trips except that the school may require reimbursement for the cost of transportation. Students may be charged fees, however, for other District-sponsored trips which are not part of a course of study.
Students may be charged fees for District-sponsored trips.
Students on all District-sponsored trips remain under the supervision of this Board and are subject to the District's administrative guidelines.
The Board does not endorse, support, or assume liability in any way for any staff member, volunteer, or parent of the District who takes students on trips not approved by the Board or District Administrator. No staff member may solicit students of this District for such trips within the facilities or on the school grounds of the District without permission from the Superintendent. Permission to solicit neither grants nor implies approval of the trip.
In any instance in which the itinerary of a trip is altered, the professional staff member in charge shall notify the administrative superior immediately.
Trips Not Sponsored by the District
If approval is granted to solicit students to participate, that individual must clearly communicate to parents that the trip is not District-sponsored and that that individual is not participating within the staff individual's role representing the District. Coordination and/or participation in such a program shall be consistent with Policy 3210 - Staff Ethics/Policy 4210 - Support Staff Ethics.
Transportation for Field and other District Sponsored Trips
The District shall assume transportation costs for a certain number of approved field trips as approved by the Superintendent.
The District will provide transportation for all other trips including co-curricular, athletic, and other extra-curricular trips as approved by the Superintendent.
Transportation may be limited by the availability of vehicles, drivers, and scheduling, and will not be available when needed for general school purposes.
All students are expected to ride the approved vehicle to and from each activity. A special request must be made to the staff member or sponsor by the parent, in writing or in person, to allow an exception.
District students not affiliated with the trip activity, nondistrict students, and/or children of preschool age shall not be permitted to ride on the trip vehicle without the approval of Administration.
No student is allowed to drive on any trip. An exception may be made by the principal on an individual basis provided the student has written parental permission.
Transportation by private vehicle shall be in accordance with Policy 8660 - Transportation by Private Vehicle for District-Sponsored Activities or Trips.
Revised 1/25/23
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