FILE: IFCB
Cf: EDAE
FIELD TRIPS AND EXCURSIONS
The Catahoula Parish School Board recognizes that educational field trips and excursions for instructional purposes help provide desirable learning experiences. Requests for regular field trips or extended field trips shall be made to the school principal and should have the principal’s support before being presented to the Superintendent.
Teachers planning to conduct field trips or out-of-class learning experiences shall submit to the principal an application in writing for his/her approval. For field trips out of the parish, the principal shall submit an application in writing to the Superintendent or his/her designee for approval. Before any trip or excursion is taken, written parental permission forms shall be secured for every student planning to take the trip. Permission forms provided by the Catahoula Parish School Board shall include detailed information about the activities of the trip (e.g., names of chaperons, itinerary) and information about student rules and responsibilities. Students who have not submitted signed parental permission forms shall not be allowed to make the trip. Parents shall be responsible for informing the school of special health conditions (e.g., diabetes).
The School Board does not endorse the use of private vehicles to transport students on field trips or to and/or from interscholastic activities. However, it recognizes the need for additional transportation at certain times; and the use of private vehicles may be utilized for the transportation of students to interscholastic activities provided that (1) students being thus transported provide the school with liability release forms signed by the students' parents/guardians; (2) all such vehicles are driven by properly licensed and insured adults; and (3) the name of the driver and a copy of the driver’s license is provided the principal prior to the use of the private vehicle. The driver/owner of the vehicle must present proof of insurance to the principal. The principal must make a copy of the insurance card and driver’s license and keep it on file at the school.
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 nonperformance.
The amount of the bond shall be at least equal to any payments made to the travel agent agency or booking agent prior to the date of travel. In addition, any bond issued shall be from 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 a 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 FOR EXTENDED FIELD TRIPS
Extended field trips are defined as field trips that cannot be completed within regular school hours. Extended field trips may include overnight stays. Teachers proposing an extended field trip must submit a proposal to the principal. The proposal must include financial information (including cost to the class, club, or organization; the projected cost to the individual students; and the projected cost to the school/school district), the number of students, names of chaperons, the itinerary/itineraries (including rest stops/meals), and a breakdown of the estimated cost. One teacher or school employee shall be designated as the trip supervisor by the principal. Approval of chaperons, including the number requested, will be left to the discretion of the principal. The principal shall submit a request for approval of the extended field trip to the Superintendent.
Students are expected to be knowledgeable about the rules governing student conduct. Extended field trips are considered an extension of the classroom, and all rules pertaining to a school-sponsored activity must be followed. Students and their parents will read and sign the standard code of conduct. Students who violate any school policy during an extended trip may be disciplined, including, but not limited to, being sent home at the parent/guardian’s expense. Forms that list emergency contacts and health information shall be carried with the trip supervisor.
The trip supervisor shall immediately contact the principal in the event of an injury to a student requiring medical treatment, a missing trip participant, an automobile accident in which any trip participant is involved as driver or passenger, the consumption of alcohol or use of illegal substances by a trip participant, or any other serious misconduct, incident or offense involving a trip participant. In the event that the principal cannot be reached, the trip supervisor shall contact the Superintendent.
Revised: September, 2004
Revised: April 14, 2015
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:176.1
Board minutes, 11-2-04, 4-14-15
Catahoula Parish School Board