We are a public school K-5/550 students. The PTO funds the transportation for all of the field trips (Principal approved and PTO approved). This is about $10,000. Our trips are really cool. Each grade level basically does the same trip year after year. We're in Virginia; our trips are to Baltimore(MD)Aquarium/Science Center (3), National Zoo (2), Jamestown/Yorktown (4/on their SOL's), Battlefields or D.C. (5), A Walking Tour of our Historical Town (3), Apple Orchards (K), Visit a Farm (1). This is naming our main ones. Most of these trips require charter buses and they are expensive. The higher grade levels do their own fundraiser to earn money to cover admissions, etc. This is where the school and PTO really work together for the students educational benefit.
We have a line item in our budget to subsidize the cost of field trip busses for each grade. This year the budget is $225/grade regardless of whether the actual cost of the busses are more or less. When planning a field trip, the teachers need to clear it with the Principal to ensure it ties in with the curriculum. Once approved, the teachers determine the cost of the bus and can count on the PTO covering up to $225 and can factor that into how much the trip will cost the students.
We also let the school collect all the money and pay all the bills, and the PTO reimburses the school for the bus (we get a copy of the bill for our records). This makes the accounting easier on us.
I think field trips for educational purposes outside of the classroom is a very important part of the learning process, especially for elementary schools. There shouldn't even be a question whether the "Goals Money" can be spent on this - of course it can (should!)
Hi! Our school(s),are two elementary, pre-k-4. We allocate enough money for one fine-arts field trip per grade. Sometimes there is money left over. We are allowing teachers to use 'leftover' money for buses for a local field trip at the end of the year, parents are paying the field cost, as fuel costs have escalated. To allow one grade more trips than another would not be fair. All funds should be spead out evenly.
Allocating money for buses would be appropriate.
Good Luck!
We are having this issue also for each grade level we give an allowance of $1000.00 for field trips. Our school budget no longer pays. We are a k-2 grade school.
We have one teacher who wants us to pay for 4 field trips which is for only one grade level.
We told her we would fund an assembly that covers the entire school, but we wouldn't be paying for the 4 field trips. She wasn't happy but the money is for everyone not just one grade level.
Cindy
Cindy<br />
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<br>"People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse the privelege."
I like the idea of allocating an "allowance" per child for field trips i.e. $5 or $10 per child to help defray field trip expenses. Hey, if you're like us little private schools, the "bus" concept is not even an option--moms in mini=vans and Suburbans do all the hauling! I'm scheduled to drive on Monday to see a live play at a local theater! We are also going to a Science Museum twice in October and the parents are driving on both of those field trips, too. Maybe not an option for you, but that's how we HAVE to do it or we don't get to go.
I just can't see how anyone could gripe about educational field trips.
