5430

SCHOOL TRIPS

5430

School trips designed to stimulate student interest and inquiry and to provide opportunities for educational growth and development can be appropriate extensions of the classroom. To the extent that a school trip provides a highly effective means for accomplishing the objectives of the curriculum and that disruption of other classes is kept to a minimum, it may be considered for approval. Additional criteria for assessing the advisability of a proposed trip are the amount of school time lost, issues of student safety and supervision, and any additional demands placed upon student time to raise funds to finance the trip.

5430.1

The Superintendent shall be responsible for development of procedures for the request and approval of desired school trips.

5430.2

A school trip is defined as a student or a group of students leaving a school campus under the sponsorship of the school and under supervision of school employee(s) to extend educational experiences consistent with the general goals and objectives of the total school program. A school trip must be related to the curriculum of the school or to a co-curricular activity (e.g., clubs, student council).  Any trip made by school students which has not been approved by the board or school administration in accordance with Policy 5430 shall not be considered to be a school trip.

5430.3

A non-school sponsored trip is defined as a trip organized by a school employee acting as an independent agent, without the sponsorship of the school or school system.  School employees who organize non-school sponsored trips involving school students must inform parents and students that the trip is not sponsored by the school system and that the school system and school officials assume no responsibility or liability for the trip.  The employee must notify the employee’s supervisor and the principal(s) of the students involved in the trip and provide documentation that the parental notice has been given.  In addition, no school time, equipment or facilities may be used to plan or organize non-school sponsored trips.

5430.4

Students should not be charged a fee for any required class school trip for which credit is granted. All assessments for voluntary class or co-curricular school trips shall be closely scrutinized at the time the trip is approved. The sponsor of that trip must certify to the school principal that provisions have been made for group members unable to pay the assessment.

5430.5

The principal shall appoint a committee of faculty members representing curricular and co-curricular areas of the school to serve as the school trip committee. The principal or designated administrator shall chair this committee.  The committee shall review and consider for approval all school trip requests. The committee shall ensure that all school trips are an integral part of the curriculum, that student safety and supervision needs have been addressed, that loss of school time is kept to a minimum, and that provisions have been made for students unable to pay any assessments for the trip.  The committee shall obtain input from all those on a staff who are affected by such trips.  The committee shall also develop an annual plan for all school trips and provide the plan to the appropriate area assistant superintendent with the school’s annual work plan.

5430.6

At the end of each school year, the school trip committee shall present to the appropriate area assistant superintendent a summary report of all school trip activity during that year.

5430.7

General guidelines for school trips include:

A.     Elementary and middle school trips shall not involve an overnight stay.

B.     Elementary and middle school trips shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five (125) miles one way.

C.     Elementary and middle school trips out of system shall not involve competitions or adjudications.

Deviations from these guidelines require prior approval of the area assistant superintendent.

5430.8

General guidelines for overnight school trips include:

A.   Trips that include male and female students shall have male and female chaperones.

B.     Student accident insurance shall be in force on each student.

5430.9

Elementary school trips to amusement parks are prohibited.  Middle and high school trips to amusement parks require prior approval of the area assistant superintendent.  No middle and high school trip will be approved unless it provides a unique educational opportunity that directly relates to the curriculum or to a co-curricular activity.  If the trip includes multiple locations, all components of the trip must meet these requirements. 

5430.10

School trips that involve water related activities such as swimming, diving, boating, sailing, cruise ship travel, etc. require prior approval of the area assistant superintendent.  No such trip will be approved unless it provides a unique educational opportunity that directly relates to the curriculum or to a co-curricular activity.  In addition, a detailed plan to address supervision and safety needs of students must be submitted.

5430.11

School trips out of the continental United States require prior board approval.

5430.12

Students remain subject to all school and district policies and rules of conduct, including disciplinary consequences, during the school trip.

5430.13

When privately-owned vehicles are to be used for transporting students, parents of the students are to be notified and the owner of the vehicles and the parents must acknowledge in writing that they have received notice that the board's liability insurance does not cover the use of private vehicles to transport students for school activities.

5430.14

The parent/guardian should be notified of any significant change in plans prior to the school trip.

5430.15

School trips may be cancelled when necessary by the principal, Superintendent, or Board of Education.  The school system cannot guarantee reimbursement when such cancellations occur.

Legal Reference: G.S. 115C-47 (4),(6) and G.S. 115C-276 (a)

Adopted: October 6, 1980

Revised: October 22, 1984

Revised: March 11, 1985

Revised: September 21, 1987

Revised: June 17, 1991

Revised: October 20, 1997

Revised: June 30, 2003