FILE:  IFCB

Cf:  EDAE

 

FIELD TRIPS AND EXCURSIONS

 

 

The Plaquemines Parish School Board recognizes that educational field trips and excursions for instructional purposes help provide desirable learning experiences.  The Superintendent has the responsibility for the development of administrative criteria governing field trips and excursions.  Only those field trips, however, that grow out of the instructional program or are otherwise related to the program are to be permitted on school time.  Other trips such as those involving band and athletic activities should be confined to non-school time, except where the school is engaged in competition or a contest that requires use of school time.

 

Teachers planning on conducting out-of-parish field trips or learning experiences shall submit, through the principal, an application in writing to the Superintendent or his/her designee for approval at least ten (10) days prior to the date desired. Before any trip or excursion is taken, written parental permission forms shall be secured for every student planning to take the trip.  Students who have not submitted signed parental permission forms shall not be allowed to make the trip.

 

Before approval of any field trip is given, it shall be determined whether the trip is covered by the School Board's liability insurance.  No travel shall be authorized where coverage cannot be secured prior to the trip commencing.  Except in extreme cases approved by the principal of the school, private vehicles shall not be used for transporting children on field trips.  Only buses, owned by or contracted to the school district, and driven by certified drivers shall be permitted, except as noted above.

 

The School Board does not endorse the use of private vehicles to transport students 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, and (2) all such vehicles are driven by properly licensed adults.  Drivers shall also be required to meet all requirements outlined in policy EDAE, Student Transportation in Private Vehicles.

 

The sponsor/chaperon, or coach, for any extracurricular or athletic trip, shall be required to remain at school or on the bus until all students are brought home or picked up by parents.

 

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.

 

Clubs and organizations that plan summer trips shall request approval from the School Board.  Information shall be submitted to the Superintendent as soon as possible, but in no case less than twenty-five (25) days in advance of the date of departure.

 

Under no circumstances shall a co-curricular or extracurricular club or organization in association with a school or the School Board take a cruise.  Should the members of such an organization plan a cruise, the same rules shall apply as listed under Senior Trips, below.

 

SENIOR TRIPS

 

The Plaquemines Parish School Board shall not be a party to senior trips that may be organized by graduating seniors in its schools:

 

Senior trips shall be considered an outside, non-school activity and shall be a private venture not in association with the schools of the Plaquemines Parish School Board.

 

 

The practice of principals, teachers and other school employees accompanying seniors on their annual trip while school is in session is contrary to good school administration and supervision.  Consequently, no teacher, any of whose classes are at the time in session, principal, or other school employee will accompany or chaperon any senior trip during the academic school year.

 

Revised:  April, 2010

Adopted:  November 1, 2010

Adopted:  December 6, 2010

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:81, 17:176.1

Board minutes, 5-25-79, 10-1-90, 2-3-92, 1-8-96, 12-6-10

 

Plaquemines Parish School Board