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IICA GUIDELINES FOR FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER SCHOOL
SPONSORED TRAVEL 1. For
purposes of this policy, any off-campus activity that is sponsored and/or
controlled by Rochester School Department personnel will be subject to these
guidelines. Field trips are considered
an enrichment to the curriculum and must correlate
with the instruction in the classroom. 2. Parents
may make suggestions for field trips.
However, the decision to take a field trip is up to the teacher or
team of teachers, with final approval from the Superintendent. 3. Field
trips must relate directly to the school district mission and goals. Before
taking a field trip, a pre-visit should be made when possible. Eating facilities and rest rooms should be
considered and chaperones should be prepared for each trip so that they will
take their responsibilities seriously. 4. A
Field Trip Request Form must be filled out for each field trip. This form must be submitted to the
principal, and is subject to the principal’s approval. A principal shall approve a field trip
request only if the principal finds that the proposed field trip enriches the
curriculum and correlates with instruction in the classroom. If approved by the principal, the request shall
be submitted to the Superintendent for final approval. The Superintendent shall, each month,
notify the Board of all trips approved by the Superintendent in the prior
month. 5. All
field trip income and expenses shall flow through the Student Activity
account for the school involved, provided that upon approval of the
Superintendent other arrangements may be made, providing for equivalent
control and reporting of the disposition of such funds. 6. Trips
that are sponsored and/or operated primarily by commercial tour companies,
even if managed or chaperoned by Rochester School Department personnel, shall
not be considered school-sponsored field trips. a. Trips shall fall under this proviso if they
meet one or more of the following criteria: 1) Students are asked to pay a fee for travel,
housing or other trip related expenses directly to a commercial vendor,
individual or organization other than the Rochester School Department. 2) The trip spans all or part of a school
district vacation, even if the trip begins before or ends after the school
district vacation, unless the trip is taken by a school-sponsored
organization to a school related event that, by circumstance, falls in the
vacation period (e.g., a vocational club state convention, school athletic
team competition, or school band performance). 3) Rochester School Department staff members
associated with the trip are receiving payment or
other consideration, such as free travel or lodging, from the tour company or
other vendor that is beyond compensation paid by the Rochester School
Department. 4) The trip is offered primarily as a pleasure
trip or enrichment beyond the scope of the Rochester School Department
curriculum and mission, regardless of whether the vendor or sponsor may be
able to document educational benefit. b. Notwithstanding language to the contrary,
the Rochester School Board retains the right to waive the conditions of the
above proviso, and approve or disapprove any trip proposed as a field trip
that it deems to fall within the mission of the Rochester School Department. c. Recruitment of student participants in any
non-school sponsored trips under this section shall be subject to the
following conditions: 1) Use of school facilities or lines of
communication to recruit student participants shall require prior approval of
the Rochester School Board. This shall
include use of school bulletin boards, newsletters, electronic dissemination,
printed flyers distributed at school, verbal or written announcements by
school staff, or any other means of communication that can connect the
Rochester School Department with the trip or announcement of the trip. 2) If any such trip involves the use of school
personnel to organize, manage, recruit, or otherwise be involved in the trip
in a highly visible way, any announcements, literature, or other
communications regarding the trip shall include, in a prominent manner, a
statement that the trip “is not associated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by
the Rochester School Department.” 3) This provision shall not prohibit school
district staff members from affiliating with any tour operator or other
commercial vendor as a volunteer, paid employee, or otherwise so long as said
affiliation is not detrimental to the school employee’s performance of duties
for the Rochester School Department and does not result in payment by the
Rochester School Department and the tour operator or other commercial vendor
twice for the same services. d. The Rochester School Department, its
officials, agents and employees, will not accept responsibility for any
accidents, injuries or other aspects of trips that are not school sponsored
field trips. 7. Permission
must be received in writing from the parent or guardian of each child before
the scheduled trip or the child will not be allowed to go. Parents should be
notified if the trip goes beyond the school day and requested to provide
transportation home for their child. For students in grades 6-12, permission must
also be obtained from each classroom teacher for each student before the
scheduled trip. Permission shall be
granted by such teachers unless a teacher finds that the student is currently
failing or in danger of failing the class, or that suitable arrangements for
making up missed class time cannot be made. 8. All
field trips, except those within walking distance, are to be by bus and
supervised by teachers and adults unless prior approval of alternate means of
transportation is obtained from Superintendent and evidence of proper
insurance coverage for the legal load of the vehicle. 9. Chaperones
must be on a one to six ratio for grades 1-8, and one to ten ratio for grades 9-12. 10. No
more than two field trips per grade, per year, will be allowed except at the
discretion of the building Principal, with the final approval by the
Superintendent of Schools.
11. If
there are any questions pertaining to field trips, please check with the
building Principal. 12. Field
trips impose additional burdens on teachers to cope with the responsibilities
attendant to being outside the classroom environment. Pupils who are disruptive must be
accompanied by one or both parents.
This policy reflects the Board's concern to have immediate parental
consent should an emergency arise. 13. Field
trips regularly used as part of a special education curriculum for purposes
of motivation or instruction, shall: a. require an approved schedule of activities
endorsed by the Principal, Special Education Coordinator, and
Superintendent; b. require a schedule of activities and
permission signed by the parents of all participating students; c. use school buses whenever practical. Staff members' cars and/or other vehicles
may be used only when the private cars are lawfully registered, inspected,
and properly insured. They may be
driven by a school employee with a valid driver's license and who is at least
twenty-one years of age. Properly
insured will mean the level of insurance ordered by the Superintendent and
copy of Certificate of Insurance must be submitted to the
Superintendent. A supplemental
conditional policy may be purchased by the School Department in order to meet
the Superintendent's standard.
Adoption Date: Amended: January 14, 1997 Amended: March 10, 2005 Policy Committee Review: March 25, 2010 |