2340 - DISTRICT-SPONSORED TRIPS
The Board recognizes that organized trips or other excursions away from the classroom are a valuable part of the District's educational programming and provide a unique 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 bythe school administration and that 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;
cultivate new interests among students;
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.
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 school administration or 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 and building administrator of the activity and pertinent information. The District Administrator shall approve all such trips.
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. Overnight travel includes foreign travel. 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 District Administrator in accordance with the District's overnight travel guidelines, and then must be submitted to the Board for final approval.
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. The District Administrator shall approve all such trips.
Trip Approval Process
No staff member may offer or lead any trip no matter the type unless the trip has been approved by the Building Administrator and/or District Administrator. 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.
Students may be charged fees for District-sponsored trips but no student shall be denied participation for financial inability, nor shall nonparticipation be penalized academically.
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 District Administrator. Permission to solicit neither grants nor implies approval of the trip. Such approval must be obtained in accordance with the District's Administrative Guidelines for Extended Trips.
The District Administrator shall prepare administrative guidelines for the operation of both field and other District-sponsored trips, including athletic trips, which shall ensure:
the safety and well-being of students;
parental permission is sought and obtained before any student leaves the District on a trip;
each trip is properly planned, and if a field trip, is integrated with the curriculum, evaluated, and followed up by appropriate activities which enhance its usefulness;
the effectiveness of field trip activities is judged in terms of demonstrated learning outcomes;
each trip is properly monitored;
student behavior while on all field trips complies with the Student Code of Conduct and on all other trips complies with an approved code of conduct for the trip;
a copy of each student's Emergency Medical Authorization Form is in the possession of the staff member in charge;
all necessary arrangements for transportation are made and any cost of transportation which will be charged to participants is approved.
A professional staff member shall not change a planned itinerary while the trip is in progress, except where the health, safety, or welfare of the students in his/her charge is imperiled or where changes or substitutions beyond his/her control have frustrated the purpose 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
No staff member, volunteer, coach, or other individual acting in some capacity for the District may solicit students of this District to participate in any trip not sponsored by the District unless that staff individual has received approval of the principal and the District Administrator to promote such trips within the facilities or on the school grounds. This includes summer trips abroad or other trips offered through a third-party organizer in which a staff member, volunteer, coach, or other individual acting in some capacity for the District is participating, as well as athletic activities outside the District's athletic program.
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.
Revised 1/27/20
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