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TRIPS

The Board of School Directors recognizes the importance of school-sponsored trips as a means of reinforcing and enhancing the curriculum and as a vehicle for encouraging and supporting student participation in academic and athletic competitions. Trips in and beyond the community give a direct learning experience and may provide practical application to the student.

Trips will be specifically related to the sequence of the curriculum being taught to the students in a class/program. The trips must be educationally sound, properly budgeted, approved by the building principal, the superintendent, and authorized by the MSAD 71 Board of School Directors.

Each grade level or department requesting a curriculum-level trip will be equally represented in the proportion of trips approved. Whenever possible, all students at a particular grade level will be given the opportunity to benefit from the same or similar field trip. Administrators will avoid field trip redundancy by assigning specific trips to specific grade levels, based on curriculum needs.

Types of Trips

A field trip is a planned educational activity in which a class or group of students leaves the school grounds for the purpose of continuing, extending or enriching the instructional program as an integral part of the curriculum. The trip should be designed to stimulate student interest and inquiry and provide opportunities for social growth and development. A statement of purpose shall accompany each trip request. Field trip requests shall also include outlining Maine Learning Results, performance indicators, and instructional activities that will be utilized during the trip. To be educationally beneficial, a field trip requires thoughtful selection, careful advance preparation of the students, and opportunities for the students to assimilate the experience during and at the conclusion of the trip. Application for a field trip will follow the normal procedures for approval including a statement of purpose, preparation of a detailed itinerary, budget, supervision (including volunteer chaperones), transportation, and academic requisites outlined above.

Trips between schools, Town Hall, and other facilities for school programs are not considered as field trips - they are a necessity.

A competition trip is a regularly scheduled competition attended by organized math teams, music competition groups, athletic teams, and other inter-scholastic competition teams. Competition trips will be approved by the appropriate administrator (AD for athletic trips, principals for other inter-scholastic teams), unless they require an overnight stay (Board approval required for overnights). The annual schedule of all regularly scheduled competition contests will be presented to the principals, superintendent of schools, and the MSAD 71 Board of School Directors at the beginning of each school year. Any athletic or competition activity that involves an overnight stay and/or out-of-state travel must comply with the authorization process for this type of travel. Application for competition trip, other than the regularly scheduled seasons’ trips, will follow the normal procedures for approval including a statement of purpose, preparation of a detailed itinerary, budget, supervision (including volunteer chaperones), accommodations, transportation and academic requisites outlined above.

Extracurricular or co-curricular trips are trips that do not replace regular classroom instruction, are taken by a district recognized group or organization, and may not include all students (i.e. community volunteer activities). Application for a school-sponsored extra-curricular/co-curricular trip will follow the normal procedures for approval including a statement of purpose, preparation of a detailed itinerary, budget, supervision (including volunteer chaperones), accommodations, transportation, and academic requisites outlined above.

An international trip is an organized activity that is directly related to the curriculum (i.e., language and culture studies, exchange programs, etc.). Application for an international trip will follow the normal procedures for approval including a statement of purpose, preparation of a detailed itinerary, budget, supervision (including volunteer chaperones), accommodations, transportation, and academic requisites outlined above.

International trips may be special in nature and may include group language study in a recognized institution overseas.

Overnight/Out-of-State/International Travel

All overnight trips and out of state or international trips must have the approval of the Principal, the Superintendent, and the Board of School Directors. All students who participate in an out-of-state and/or overnight trip must provide proof of health insurance. In addition, students who participate in international trips must provide proof of international health coverage and emergency evacuation insurance.

Trips not specifically approved as an MSAD 71 field trip, competition trip, co-curricular or extra curricular trip and/or international trip will not be covered by the District’s liability insurance or District Legal Counsel. In addition, a trip not approved through the standards process may not represent the school or MSAD 71 in any manner.

Non-sanctioned Trips

Non-sanctioned trips are trips that are not an integral part of the instructional program and have not been authorized by the Board. Non-sanctioned trips are any trips or excursions organized by District employees, parents, non-school groups, community members or others, acting independently of the schools. These trips involve students on a voluntary and self-supporting basis, are not approved by the Board, and are not part of or associated with the curriculum, co-curricular or extracurricular activities. All responsibility for non-sanctioned trips and excursions lies with the individual(s) or group(s) sponsoring and organizing them. Non-sanctioned trips may not represent the school and/or MSAD 71 in any manner.

Recruitment and planning of non-sanctioned trips is prohibited during instructional time and during the employee’s regularly scheduled workday.

Non-sanctioned trips must not represent themselves as school functions or as related to or an extension of instructional, co-curricular or extracurricular programs including, but not limited to, any use of school logo. While private activities of staff cannot be regulated by the school, it is the responsibility of any staff engaging in such trips or activities to notify the parents of the participating students that this outside vent is not a school activity but a private volunteer excursion undertaken by that teacher or staff member. Trips not specifically approved as an MSAD 71 field trip, athletic trip, co-curricular or extra curricular trip, or international trip will not be covered by the District’s liability insurance and the District Legal Counsel.

Individuals or groups who wish to use the schools for the purpose of publicizing trips or recruiting participants must submit a request following the same procedures required of other individuals or non-school groups requesting use of school facilities (Article IX, Section 1).

Trip Chaperones

All MSAD 71 authorized trips must be accompanied by a trained adult who has participated in a trip organization workshop and has been authorized by the MSAD 71 Board of School Directors.

The requirement for chaperone ratios as defined in the Administrative Guidelines may be adjusted according to the type of trip and/or the destination. Application for the trip may request a lower or higher ratio of chaperones. Rationale for change in ratio must accompany the application.

Application for Authorization for Trips

All trips will have specific information forms filled out and returned to the appropriate administrators within the deadlines required. The forms packets will be available in the administrators’ offices and also online. Online submission is preferable as the district’s efforts to conserve paper are important. MSAD 71 forms for trip application/transportation request, itinerary, budget, parental information, emergency contact, medical information, informed consent, and other necessary trip information will be available in the principals’ and superintendent’s offices and online. Only MSAD 71 forms may be used for trip purposes.

A specific budget will be developed for such trips; funds needed beyond those budgeted may be raised through approved fundraising activities. In addition, a reasonable fee may be collected from each student. Provisions for covering such fees shall be made for those students unable to pay. All money must be collected prior to departure.

Parental Permission

Each student participating in a trip must have a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Each trip notification will include the purpose of the trip, a detailed copy of the trip itinerary with trip leader contact information, including departure and arrival times if needed (trips that begin and/or end before or after regular school hours) cost of the trip to the student, transportation utilized, and notice that the student will not be deprived of a trip because of inability to pay. In addition, any trip that includes an overnight and/or out-of-state travel requires parental/guardian-signed emergency contact and medical information forms that will be confidential.

Parents/guardians and students will also receive written expectations that the Code of Conduct and all disciplinary action available to school officials will be in force during the trip. On all overnight and out of state trips, both students and parents/guardians shall sign the Code of Conduct statement. In the case of major infractions of school rules, parents may be notified during the trip and, depending on the seriousness of the infraction, may be required to pick students up at the trip location.

Trip Orientation

All overnight, out-of-state, and international trip participants, parents/guardians, trip leaders, and chaperones will attend a mandatory orientation prior to departure. The orientation will include (but is not limited to) expected behavior and attire, culture and the destination, protocol and etiquette, transportation, medical facilities and processes, safety and security issues, and emergency procedures. At the conclusion of the orientation, all participants and their parents, trip leaders, and chaperones will provide MSAD 71 with signed informed consent forms (formerly referred to as a liability waiver).

Amended: 12/22/97

Amended: 08/14/06

Amended: 11/26/07

PRINCIPALS: RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AND FIELD TRIPS

Principals shall make every effort to assure that pupils are not removed from academic subjects for non-academic activities unless in the judgment of the Principal the activity is in the best interest of the students.

Reviewed: 9/8/97