7:320 Student Travel
7:320 Student Travel
The School Board recognizes that educational opportunities may occur outside of the established school curriculum and programs. Traveling may provide a temporary alternative to the school setting for an individual student or a group of students.
The District differentiates between three types of student travel: field trips, education trips, and excursion tours.
Field Trips
Field trips shall be defined as trips to off-campus activities that provide learning experiences that are an integral part of the regular education curriculum. Field trips are permissible when the experiences are an integral part of the school curriculum and/or contribute to the District’s educational goals.
All field trips must have the school administrator’s prior approval, except that field trips beyond a 200-mile radius of the school or extending overnight must have the prior approval of the Board. The following factors are analyzed when determining whether to approve a field trip: educational value, student safety, parent concerns, heightened security alerts, and liability concerns. On all field trips, a bus fee set by the Superintendent or designee may be charged to help defray the transportation costs.
Parents/guardians of students: (1) shall be given the opportunity to consent to their child’s participation in any field trip, and (2) are responsible for all entrance fees, food, lodging, or other costs, except that the District will pay such costs for students who qualify for free or reduced school lunches. All non-participating students shall be provided an alternative experience. Any field trip may be cancelled without notice due to danger to students, staff, or chaperons. Monies deposited may be forfeited.
Education Trips
Educational trips shall be defined as trips by curricular or co-curricular groups when the activity is an important extension of the group’s program. Trips must be directly supplemental to a regular school program and show promise of providing significant learning experiences that are not otherwise obtainable in the classroom.
Educational trips are sponsored by District 101 and require board approval under the following criteria:
- The trip involves an over-night stay or is beyond a 200-mile radius of the school.
- The trip is not the result of membership in an organization that the Board has approved (IHSA).
Board authorization will be guided by the following criteria:
- The amount of school time missed by the participating students.
- The Superintendent or designee ensures the appropriate details and assurances are submitted in advance of the field trip.Alignment of the proposed trip to the Board’s educational objectives and strategic plan.
- Alignment of the proposed trip to the Board’s educational objectives and strategic plan.
Excursion Tours
Excursion tours shall be defined as any tours involving students and District 101 staff members or any other adult but which are not field trips or trips sponsored by District 101 as part of a regularly scheduled course.
Because it is the intent of the Board of Education not to have any connection with any excursion tour, no excursion tours shall be authorized by the Superintendent.
No member of the district staff shall be permitted to make use of school premises during regular school hours, any school sponsored activity or school bulletin board to publicize an excursion tour. Staff members may make application for use of school facilities on the same basis as other non-school related commercial applicants. The Superintendent will be notified of the details of the excursion tour prior to the staff member communicating plans for the trip to students or parents.
The following statement shall be prominently displayed on all literature promoting the excursion tour:
“Batavia Public School District 101 is not sponsoring and is not in any way connected with this tour.”
At least 15 days before the planned departure date, the District staff member involved in the tour shall provide the Superintendent or designee with pre-stamped envelopes addressed to the parents (guardians) of the student tour participants, plus an equal number of copies of the “Liability Notification to Parents of Students Participating in an Excursion Tour”.
The notification shall be mailed to the Parent/guardian of each student prior to the beginning of the tour.
Student participation in excursion tours is voluntary.
A detailed itinerary and tour roster will be submitted to the building principal at least 7 days in advance of the trip.
Cross Reference:
7:320-E3 Liability Notification to Parents of Students Participating in an Excursion Tour
Date Adopted: January 26, 2010
Date Amended: May 28, 2013
Date Amended: February 20, 2018
