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IJOA School Sponsored Field Trips

File:  IJOA 

SCHOOL SPONSORED FIELD TRIPS 
The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee recognizes that it is desirable and valuable, on occasion, to supplement and extend classroom activities with voluntary and optional domestic and international academic and extracurricular field trips to broaden perspectives and educational experiences of students. The HW Regional School Committee encourages activities that augment classroom instruction and promote healthy social development. 
 
Definitions
  1. Academic field trips: all off-campus trips that are organized as part of the class curriculum.
  2. Extracurricular field trips: off campus trips that are organized by a school sponsored club, group or athletic team. Participation is optional and voluntary. Away games or matches that are part of the athletic program are considered extra-curricular field trips.
  3. Overnight field trips: any trip planned to occur between midnight and 6AM or to require a student to stay overnight away from home.
The Superintendent or designee will establish regulations to assure that: 
  1. Trips are appropriate for the age group involved in the activity;
  2. Trips are reasonable in terms of time, distance and cost;
  3. All safety precautions are observed, including provisions for medical emergencies;
  4. All trips are adequately supervised, including an adequate number of chaperones who have approved CORI checks on file and have been oriented to their roles and responsibilities;
  5. All academic field trips allow student access without regard of family ability to pay.
Approvals 
All field trips must receive the prior recommendation of the department chairperson (high school) and the approval of the principal. 
All out-of-state and overnight trips must receive the prior recommendation of the department chairperson (high school) and the approval of the principal, superintendent and school committee. 

Final approval should be sought no less than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled trip dates. The thirty (30)day requirement does not apply to student participation in tournament competitions and contests.

Approvals shall be completed prior to engaging in any fundraising activities.

The School Committee reserves the right to (a) cancel trips up to departure and (b) recall trips in progress if they believe there are national and/or international conditions that pose potential danger to students or any other reason deemed appropriate by the School Committee. 

Approval Requests 
Final approval requests must be submitted by the individual(s) coordinating the field trip and must include: 
  1. A detailed itinerary of the trip including educational activities, and all logistical details involving transportation, accommodations, and fundraising required of students;
  2. Planned adult supervision;
  3. A detailed budget including receipts and disbursements anticipated and any costs to students;
  4. Procedures for emergency notification to Superintendent and parents/guardians in the event an emergency should occur while on the trip;
  5. Safety precautions in place, including those for administration of medication and medical emergencies; 
  6. Assurance that all the above details have been provided to the parents/guardians and students, and that written approval for the trip has been granted from the parent/guardian of each student involved with all pertinent and emergency information.
All Hamilton-Wenham Policies on Student Behavior, student rules and regulations, MIAA rules and regulations, regarding student conduct will apply, and be in effect, at all times for all field trips. Students violating the policies, rules and regulations may be immediately suspended from the trip and sent back to school or home, as appropriate at the parent/guardian’s expense. Students will also be subject to the aforementioned student conduct policies, rules and regulations. 
 
Transportation 
The use of private vans and automobile for trips planned to include late night or overnight (midnight and 6:00 a.m.) student travel is not permitted. Such trips will use commercial vans or motor coaches and employ professional licensed drivers. 
When school bus transportation is required, the school district’s regular transportation contractor is to be utilized, if available. If the school district’s regular transportation carrier is not available, only contractors licensed for passenger transportation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or the Department of Defense’s approved list of motor carriers may be used. Carriers with an FMCSA or Department of Defense safety rating of “conditional” or “unsatisfactory” cannot be used. 
Rare exceptions for individual students may be granted with written permission of the appropriate administrator. (e.g Athletic Director, Principal) 

Fundraising
No fundraising may occur prior to trip approval. 
 
Fundraising activities must be approved by the building principal 
 
Group fundraising activities are preferred.  Students should not be assigned individual fundraising targets. 

If students are charged individual fees for participation, the district will make every effort to provide scholarships where needed. 
 
Non-School Sponsored Trips
Teachers and other school staff sometimes privately conduct educational tours or trips involving the participation of Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District students. The HW School Committee neither sanctions nor prohibits such activities, nor assumes any responsibility for them. The School Committee will not review or approve trips that are privately organized and run without school sanctioning.  
 
Teachers and other school staff are prohibited from soliciting students for privately run trips through the school district. In information regarding non-school sponsored field trips teachers and other school staff are expected to clearly state that such trips are not school-sponsored and that the HW School Committee and the Hamilton –Wenham Regional School District do not sanction the trip or assume any responsibility. 
 
LEGAL REFS.: 
ADDITIONAL REFS.:
 
Adopted: 1/5/2023
 

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