Our elementary school allocated $10.00 per child for the year. Classroom sizes vary so the classroom funding method would provide more for one room than the other, so we fund it equally per child.
Our school district will pay for all transportation if the trip is scheduled within the school day. If they have an early pickup or late return, they must charter a bus.
Since field trips are usually scheduled at the grade level with all classrooms of that grade going together, one teacher usually volunteers to send in the paperwork to the PTO. The PTO will send in any needed deposit as per instructions from the teacher and then pay the bill. We do not provide the teachers with the funds and then expect them to pay it. If a charter bus is necessary as was 2 years ago with our 5th grade trip, the PTO still paid the $10.00 per child to cover expenses, but after that, the teachers had a choice to ask the PTO for assistance in raising the extra funds needed or to send a letter home to parents asking for the needed funds per child. The Headroom moms ended up raising the money with the PTO's assistance by selling baked goods at our events. It worked out well since they raised the needed money and we had refreshments at all our events throughout the year without having to worry about coordinators!
If a grade level or teacher does not submit the needed paperwork, the PTO wouldn't be able to pay the bill. Maybe by providing the teachers the money and them paying the bill, they don't feel the need to send in the paperwork. If you agree to pay the bills directly provided all paperwork is submitted, you will get timely submissions. You also need the backing of your principal as well. It's common manners that they show their appreciation to the PTO by being timely and forthcoming with their notifications and paperwork.
We allocate $7 per student prior to the start of the new school year. Last year was the first time Field Trips were allowed in 5 years, so the response from the teaching staff was less than expected. In the end two classes did what I would consider a field trip (away from school) and one class requested they hold their field trip in-school in the form of a play. Since this was the first year it was being allowed again the group decided to allow this, but for this upcoming year I am pushing that these funds are to support away from school trips, as the group has expressed that we believe that this type of trip enhances a child's educational experience.
So this year I will be writing a letter to the teachers, that will be provided at the back to school staff lunch, explaining the allocation of funds and that we have created a new Enrichment committee which will be dedicated to assiting the teachers with planning away from school field trips, as well as the in-house enrichment opportunities that we always do.
Overall we are hoping that we can get it to the point that it becomes standard that each grade goes on a certain field trip every year. That way the parents, children and staff would all know that Kindergarten goes to the local farm in October, 3rd grade goes to Plymouth Plantation in April, etc.
We "require" that each grade provides a teacher representative to attend a meeting requesting the use of the funds for the field trip. This way we are provided all of the information that we need, know what to expect as far as bills, etc. If the trip ends up costing more than the $7 per student then the teachers provide the parental $ to us and we cut all checks, including the bus bill. We have the bus company bill us directly.
Also, we make it known to the teaching staff that if any student would not be able to attend due to financial difficulties that no one would be left behind and that we would take on the costs for those students.
We tell the classes to submit a request for funds before a meeting so we can discuss it. We usually are paying for gas for the bus or sponsoring 1 child for the trip. We have never given field trip money before they ask, some classes may only take one and may have the funds covered already.
Inn our area each teacher or group of teachers that are going on a trip have to pay the bus drivers themselves.
We are preparing for a new school year and trying to make some of our financial systems work a little better.
I'd be interested in hearing how you all handle funding of field trips. Last year, we provided $300 for each classroom for field trips. The teacher is supposed to fill out a form, and send it to the PTO treasurer. A check is sent to the teacher to cover program costs; if PTO is paying for transportation, we are billed directly by our district transportation department.
One problem we are having is that some teachers neglect to send the form in to us, but still tell the district to send us their bills, which makes extra work for us having to track down each teacher to find out if we are really supposed to pay that bill (sometimes we are billed in error). I do know that the teachers also have to do paperwork with the district each time they go on a trip. Does anyone out there have the PTO portion of field trip funding covered on a district field trip form? I'm thinking that would be easier for the teachers, just one form to fill out.
I'm also wondering how you are billed by your district for field trip school busses. Our situation has become very difficult to live with...they give estimates to the teachers, but the actual bills can be as much as $100 over the estimates. And when you have only $300 for a class, that is a lot!! We are trying to get a meeting with the head of transportation, and if I can provide info on how someone else does it better, that could help. In talking with teachers, they are all frustrated too, but nothing has happened when they complained.
