FILE:  IFCB

Cf:  EDAE

FIELD TRIPS AND EXCURSIONS

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Transportation Department shall service field trip needs to all of the schools being transported by the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board Transportation Department.

All field trip requests from schools must be directly affiliated with the educational goals of each school, and the application request for a field trip must be submitted to the central office for approval no later than two (2) weeks in advance.

All field trips must be of educational value and must be related to the objectives of the lesson plan for that class.  All field trips must be approved by the school principal.

An effort should be made to schedule trips between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. or after 4:30 p.m. to prevent conflict with daily routes.  All trips that affect daily routes must have approval of the Transportation Department.  Such trips may be cancelled or rescheduled due to the demands on the Transportation Department.

If the Transportation Department cannot provide needed services, outside bus services may be contracted with prior approval from the Superintendent/Superintendent’s designee.

ATHLETIC TRIPS

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall provide transportation for athletic events and practice for all schools within the system.

As in field trips, every effort should be made to avoid conflict with daily routes.  Athletic transportation shall be scheduled around daily routes.

All athletic transportation shall be coordinated by the school's Athletic Director.  All schedules for every sport must be turned in to the Transportation Office two (2) weeks in advance of the opening playing date.  The Athletic Director shall keep a bus log of all the transportation, events and practices.  When athletic events are cancelled, an effort should be made with the Transportation Office on a rescheduled date.

Junior Varsity events shall be scheduled around daily routes.  All away Junior Varsity events will be scheduled after daily routes or on weekends.  Summer events must have the approval of the principal and the Director of Auxiliary Programs.

There shall be a limit of transporting to away sporting events on a given school day.

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.

STUDENT OFF-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board values off-campus activities for students, including athletic activities, as a part of students' total educational experiences.  The School Board recognizes that both curricular and extracurricular off-campus events provide learning environments which foster academic and athletic achievement, citizenship, cultural enrichment, and social/emotional skill development.

To ensure the safety and welfare of students while participating in off-campus activities, the School Board requires adherence to the following guidelines:

1. All students attending off-campus activities must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.  This includes at the event, as well as during transportation, if on a school or contracted bus trip.
   
   

2. The school must seek parental approval prior to allowing students to participate in off-campus activities.
   
   

3. Parental participation as chaperones during off-campus activities should be sought and encouraged.
   
   

4. Any off-campus activities which require an overnight stay must include same-sex chaperones.

TRIPS PAID FOR BY THE SCHOOL BOARD

The School Board shall pay for the following trips:

Athletic and practice; State Rally; Beta Club Convention; Junior Beta Club Convention; FBLA Convention; Parish Fairs - Spelling Bee, Social Studies, Science, Math; Band athletic performances; Band practice; Adaptive P.E. (Special Education); 4-H trips; Special Olympics; and Community Service.

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

Board minutes, 10-13-94, 8-20-98, 10-15-09, 10-14-10, 10-17-13, 9-8-16

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board