IJOA Trips

FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER STUDENT TRAVEL

The Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors recognizes the importanceeducational value of school-sponsored trips as a means of reinforcing and enhancingextending the curriculum and as a vehicle for encouraging and supporting student participation in academicacademic, artistic and athletic competitions.activities, Trips inperformances and beyondcompetitions. theIn communityaddition, givesome aschool-sponsored direct learning experience andtrips may provide practicalsocial applicationexperiences and contribute to the student.

[Typesdevelopment of Trips]

a positive school culture. This policy provides guidance for the various kinds of trips that may be sponsored by Regional School Unit 1. Field Trips

“Field trip” means a trip that takes place during the school day and is organized and conducted by one or more Regional School Unit 1 employees as a means of accomplishing particular curriculum objectives.  All students within the class or grade, or curriculum related subgroup within a class, will be expected to participate.

Field trips must be approved in advance by the building principal and the Superintendent.  

Teachers and principals will be expected to consider the following factors in planning and approval of field trips:

A.	Objectives of the proposed trip and the anticipated learning outcomes;
B.	Specific learning activities to be experienced during the trip;
C.	Suitability of the activity and distance traveled to the age of students;
D.	Mode and availability of transportation, with school bus transportation arranged so as not to disrupt school bus schedules; 
E.	Arrangements for meals (if applicable);
F.	Availability of funding for all necessary expenses through the school budget or other appropriate sources.

AIn addition the Board requires that:

A.	Parents/guardians give written permission for field trip isparticipation;
B.	Adequate supervision be provided to maintain discipline and safety and to respond to emergencies; and
C.	Students participating in field trips conduct themselves in a plannedmanner educationalconsistent activitywith Board policies and school rules.
D.	Any overnight curriculum-related trip must be approved by the Board.

Competition Trips

“Competition trip” means any trip related to an academic, artistic, athletic, or other student competition or performance that involves individual students or teams. Any competition trip that is outside of those scheduled for the year must be approved in whichadvance by the Superintendent. Approval may be contingent upon availability of funding through the school budget or other sources.

Other School-Sponsored Trips

Other school-sponsored trips are those that are organized and conducted by one or more employees of Regional School Unit 1 as a supplement to the curriculum, as a class social activity, or groupas an activity planned by a student club or organization. Such trips may include overnight, long-distance in-state or out-of-state travel, or foreign travel. To be school-sponsored, the trip must relate directly to the curriculum or to activities for which the student club is organized.

Participation in such trips is entirely voluntary. There shall be no extra credit awarded for participation and no loss of credit for not taking a trip.

Participation may be limited to students leavestaking thecourses schoolrelated grounds forto the purpose of continuing,the extendingtrip or enrichingto students who are affiliated with the instructional program as an integral part of the curriculum. The trip should be designed to stimulate student interestclub andor inquiryorganization and provide opportunities for social growth and development. 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 ofplanning the trip.

AnyThe athleticSuperintendent orand competitionBoard activitymust thatapprove, involvesin anadvance, overnightany staytrips and/orinvolving out-of-of state travel and all overnight and foreign trips. Approval may be contingent upon availability of funding from the school budget and other sources, including student fundraising.

Staff or administrators seeking approval for school-sponsored trips must havefurnish the following information:

A.	Objectives of the trip and anticipated outcomes;
B.	Specific experiences to be provided; 
C.	Number and grade(s) of students;	
D.	Cost per student, including funds requested from Regional School Unit and from individual students; 
E.	Fundraising plans (if applicable);
F.	Transportation arrangements;
G.	Itinerary;
H.	Arrangements for meals and lodging;
I.	Arrangements for adequate adult supervision/chaperons;
J.	Plans for safety and emergencies;
K.	Plans for communicating information to parents and obtaining parental permission

Adequate supervision must be provided to maintain discipline and safety and to respond to emergencies.

Students participating in field trips and other school-sponsored trips must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with Board approval.policies and school rules. Students who violate Board policy or school rules will be subject to disciplinary consequences.

ExtracurricularNon-School-Sponsored Travel

Travel organized by Regional School Unit 1 employees, parents 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).

An international trip is an organized activityothers that is directly related to the curriculum (i.e., language and culture studies, exchange programs, etc.).

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

[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 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 RSU 1 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.

Non-sanctioned Trips

Non-sanctioned trips are trips that are not an integral partextension of the instructional program or school-sponsored activities and havehas not been authorizedapproved 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 onas a voluntaryschool-sponsored andtrip self-supportingin basis, are not approved by the Board, and are not part of or associatedcompliance with thethis curriculum,policy co-curricularwill orbe extracurricularconsidered activities.a non-school-sponsored trip.

All responsibility for non-sanctionedschool-sponsored trips and excursions lies with the individual(s) or group(s) sponsoring and organizing them. Non-sanctionedThe tripsBoard mayaccepts notno representresponsibility thefor schoolnon-school-sponsored and/or RSU 1 in any manner.

Recruitmenttrips, and planningorganizers 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 cannotshould be regulatedaware by the school, it is the responsibility of any staff engaging inthat such trips or activitiesexcursions to notify the parents of the participating students that this outside event isare not a school activity and that it is a private volunteer excursion undertaken by that teacher or staff member. Trips not specifically approved as an RSU 1 field trip, athletic trip, co-curricular or extra-curricular trip, or international trip will not be covered by the District'school unit’s liability insuranceinsurance.

To minimize the impact of these trips on the instructional program and operation of the Districtschools, Legalthe Counsel.Board strongly encourages organizers/sponsors to schedule non-school-sponsored trips during weekends and/or vacation periods. Staff members planning or participating in non-school-sponsored travel must notify the building principal of such plans. Student absences due to participation in non-school sponsored travel will be considered unexcused absences.

Instructional time may not be used to promote the trip or distribute materials. Individuals or groups who wish to use the schools for the purpose of publicizing trips or recruiting participants and parents/chaperones may do so in accordance with the Board’s facilities use policy. Individuals or groups wishing to distribute promotional materials may do so only in accordance with Board policy. Non-school-sponsored trips must submitnot be represented as school functions or as related to, or an extension of, the District’s school unit’s instructional, co-curricular or extracurricular programs.

It is the responsibility of any staff engaging in such trips or activities to notify the parents of prospective and participating students that this is not a requestschool activity, but an independent voluntary trip organized or lead by that teacher or staff member. To minimize any risk of misunderstanding, the following the same procedures required of other individuals or non-school groups requesting use of school facilities (Article IX, Section 1).

Trip Chaperones

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 ratiostatement must accompany the application.

Application for Authorization for Sanctioned Trips

All trips will have specific information forms filled out and returned to the appropriate administrators within the deadlines required. Online submission is preferable as the district's efforts to conserve paper are important. Only RSU 1 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 forin thoseany studentsinformational unablemeetings toor paymaterials forpromoting anthe RSU 1 sanctioned trip. All money must be collected prior to departuretrip:

Parental Permission

Any“This trip requiresis parental/guardian-signednot permissionapproved formor withsponsored emergencyby contact,Regional School Unit 1. It has not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by authorized Regional School Unit administrators and medicalit informationis formsnot thatcovered willby be confidential.

Parents/guardians and students will also receive written expectations that the Codeany of ConductRegional andSchool allUnit’s disciplinaryinsurance action available to school officials will be in force during the trip. 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.

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.policies.”

Adopted: March 25, 2013 Revised: February 24, 2025