FILE:  IFCB

Cf:  EDAE

FIELD TRIPS AND EXCURSIONS

The Bogalusa City School Board recognizes that educational field trips and excursions for instructional purposes help provide desirable learning experience. The Superintendent has the responsibility for the development of administrative criteria governing field trips and excursions.  Only those field trips, however, that grow out of the instructional program or are otherwise related to the program are to be permitted on school time.  Other trips such as those involving band and athletic activities should be confined to non-school time, except where the school is engaged in competition or a contest that requires use of school time.

Teachers planning on conducting field trips or learning experiences shall submit, through the principal, an application in writing to the Superintendent or his/her designee for approval.  Before any trip or excursion is taken, written parental permission shall be secured for every student planning to take the trip.  Students who have not submitted signed parental permission forms shall not be allowed to make the trip.  Field trips must be approved prior to obtaining parental permission.

Before approval of any field trip is given, it shall be determined whether the trip is covered by the School Board’s liability insurance.  No travel shall be authorized where coverage cannot be secured prior to the trip commencing.  Except in extreme cases approved by the principal of the school, private vehicles shall not be used for transporting children on field trips.  Only buses, owned by or contracted to the school district and driven by certified operators shall be permitted, except as noted above.  In such cases, a copy of the driver’s license and a copy of the current insurance shall be kept on file at the school and submitted to the Superintendent or his/her designee.

The School Board does not endorse the use of private vehicles to transport students to and/or from interscholastic activities.  However, it recognizes the need for additional transportation at certain times; and the use of private vehicle may be utilized for the transportation of student to interscholastic activities provided that (1) student being thus transported provide the school with liability release forms signed by the students’ parent/guardian; (2) all such vehicles are driven by properly licensed adults; and (3) the name of the driver, a copy of the driver’s license, and proof of insurance coverage are provided the principal prior to the use to the private vehicle.

STUDENT EXCURSIONS

Whenever any student trip or excursion utilizes the services of a travel agent or booking agent to provide or arrange for transportation or lodging, the School Board shall require the travel agent or booking agent to provide proof of adequate insurance and present to the School Board a surety bond sufficient to insure recovery of all monetary advances as a result of a nonperformance.

The amount of the bond shall be at least equal to any payments made to travel agent agency or booking agent prior to the date of travel.  In addition, any bond issued shall be form a surety company licensed to do business in Louisiana and approved by the School Board.  A certified check from the travel agency covering the full amount of advanced payment may be accepted by the School Board, but only when a bond is not available.

Additional regulations governing field trips or excursions for students that involve travel or lodging may be maintained by the Superintendent and staff.

The principal of the junior high, middle school, or high school shall be prohibited from approving any field trip or extracurricular activity promoted by any individual, organization, or entity which plans, promotes, or organizes travel arrangements, unless the trip or activity is in accordance with all School Board and staff established criteria, and is covered by proper insurance and an acceptable surety bond.

GUIDELINES

1. Any field trips or activities or students during or out-side of school hours sponsored by the school and involving student, and/or teaching-personnel, are considered school sponsored trips.
    

2. A field trip is defined as any departure from the school whereby students, teachers, aids, principals and/or any other school personnel are involved.
    

3. The principal must have on file prior to the date of departure, a detailed travel plan.  This should include the following information:

    

   • Student’s Name

   • Student’s home address

   • Student’s home phone number

   • A list of all participating students’ chaperones

   • A travel itinerary including dates and time of departure location of stops and meals, and the total cost of the trip for each participant.

    

4. If the field trip is planned under the auspices of an outside agency, the principal should check carefully the credibility of the organization, its financial standing and performance record.
    

5. The principal or teacher in charge should make every effort to include everyone in the class or student organization on the trip, however, a field trip sponsored by an individual school is limited to the students who are currently registered in that class and/or grade unless it is a joint activity in which students for other schools will participate.
    

6. No student may attend a field trip unless a parental permission slip is signed by the parent on file in the principal’s office prior to the trip.  No student will be made to attend a field trip.  If there are students within a class and or group who will not be taking the field trip, the principal and teacher should make provisions for educational instruction for those students for that day.  Educational instruction must be provided.
    

7. Elementary students should be provided with secure name tags listing student’s names and emergency telephone numbers.
    

8. Careful supervision of student, including accounting for students immediately following each activity should be closely monitored and adhered to.
    

9. No field trips will be taken prior to the completion of the first month of school.  No field trips will be taken the last week of school.
    

10. No more than two (2) in-town field trips a year may be taken by a specific teacher, grade or class.
     

11. No more than two (2) out of town field trips per year may be taken by a specific teacher, grade or class.
     

12. All field trips should be planned in conjunction with a unit of study as a means of concluding the unit with a field trip.  Special field trips to the farm, Cassidy Park, and Easter egg hunt, or a “special event” may be approved by special permission of the principal and Supervisor of Instruction.

In-Town/Out -Of-Town Field Trips

The following steps should be taken for all field trips:

1. Gather data and information check with available resources and get all necessary information concerning costs, etc., for the trip.
    

2. Organize, plan, and develop unit of study.
    

3. Get written form from the principal and get the principal’s permission.
    

4. Bring this form to the Supervisor of Instruction, who will sign the form and forward this form, if approved to the Supervisor of Transportation if bus transportation is needed.  This form must be turned into the Supervisor of Instruction at least thirty (30) days prior to travel for verification of trip approval or disapproval.
    

5. Within one (1) week, this form will be returned to the principal for verification of the trip approval or disapproval.
    

6. Confirm all arrangements, dates, places, etc.  Insurance should be purchased so that students and chaperones are covered on the bus and off the bus for the duration of the trip.
    

7. After trip is approved, inform students and parents about the trip through a letter sent home to the parents.
    

8. Teach unit of study on the field trip.
    

9. Collect all parental permission slips and place on file in the principal’s office.
    

10. Insurance policy number, company’s name and coverage should be left with the principal, prior to departure on the trip.
     

These guidelines should be followed involving any school group where the trip and/or activities occur during or outside of school hours.  A trip or activity will be considered school sponsored if there is any loss of school time or while on school premises information is distributed, money is collected, forms of any nature concerning the trip are given or received, or a meeting held.

Out-of-State Field Trips

All out of state field trips will follow all the same guidelines as in-town/out-of-town field trips with the following exceptions:

1. Field trip forms from item D must be turned in to the Supervisor of Instruction, signed by the principal, at least forty-five (45) days prior to the trip.
    

2. The trip will be placed on the regular School Board agenda for approval by the School Board.  all out-of–state trips shall have School Board approval prior to travel.

Revised:  March, 2008

Revised:  April, 2009

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:176.1

Board minutes, 12-12-83, 10-15-07, 12-15-08

Bogalusa City School Board