The Governing Board recognizes that school-sponsored trips are an important component of a student's development and supplement and enrich the classroom learning experience. School-sponsored trips may be conducted in connection with the district's course of study or school-related social, educational, cultural, athletic, school band activities, or other extracurricular or co-curricular activities.
Requests for school-sponsored trips involving out-of-state, or overnight travel shall be submitted to the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent or designee shall review the request and make a recommendation to the Board as to whether the request should be approved by the Board. All other school-sponsored trips shall be approved in advance by the principal.
The principal shall establish a process for approving a staff member's request to conduct a school-sponsored trip. When planning trips, staff shall consider student safety, objectives of instruction, the most effective use of instructional time, the distance from school, district and student expense, and transportation and supervision requirements.
District funds shall not be used to pay student expenses for out-of-state or out-of-country field trips or excursions. However, expenses of instructors, chaperones, and other personnel participating in such trips, as well as incidental expenses for the use of district equipment during the trip, may be paid from district funds. (Education Code 35330)
The ratio of adults to students on school-sponsored trips shall be at least one to 10. If the trip involves water activities, this ratio shall be revised to ensure closer supervision of elementary grade students, appropriate to their ages.
(cf. 3541.1 - Transportation for School-Related Trips)
(cf. 5143 - Insurance)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
8760 Authorization of outdoor science and conservation programs
32040-32044 First aid equipment: field trips
35330 Excursions and field trips
35331 Provision for medical or hospital service for pupils (on field trips)
35332 Transportation by chartered airline
35350 Transportation of students
44808 Liability when pupils not on school property
48908 Duties of pupils; authority of teachers
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
17540 Travel promoters
17550-17550.9 Sellers of travel
17552-17556.5 Educational travel organizations
Management Resources:
WEB SITES
American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org
California Association of Directors of Activities: http://www.cada1.org
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov
Policy PETALUMA CITY SCHOOLS
adopted: June 25, 2002 Petaluma, California
revised: September 25, 2007