Last modified: August 19, 2024

Policy 4006: Student Travel

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Student Travel: Field Trips & Overnight Trips

The Provo City School District Board of Education recognizes that experiences beyond the classroom may provide meaningful enrichment for learning. For this reason, the board has created this policy to govern all forms of student travel.

The Board requires that all such experiences – defined as a form of an authorized field trip – will have a clearly stated educational purpose. The “educational purpose” must be strong enough to have meaningful, relevant and defensible justifications to support missed class time, cost, etc. While student travel may include activities that are not part of the approved curriculum, it is understood that the emphasis of all student travel is to supplement regular school educational programs.

Overnight student travel is not to be considered as a reward simply for being in a certain program or activity. A clear and compelling educational reason must exist. Student Travel is defined in the following manner:

1. Non-overnight field trips.
2. Overnight trips less than 425 miles away from Provo, Utah.
3. Overnight trips greater than 425 miles away from Provo, Utah (Continental US only).

The Board directs the Superintendent to develop procedures for the field trip categories noted above to include:

1. The sequence, process, and timelines for submitting a student travel request for approval
2. Justifications for travel
3. Trip organization and planning
4. Transportation and travel arrangements
5. Fee waivers and fundraising
6. Refunds
7. Number of overnight trips per organization & number of school days missed
8. Risk Management approval and insurance
9. Chaperoning and supervision of students
10. Costs and per-student charges, including chaperone expenses
11. Travel safety
12. Travel conditions
13. Non-district Trips

Overnight student travel is limited to high schools. Exceptions related to middle school students will be considered by the board on a case-by-case basis.

It is a serious violation of this Policy (4006) and related procedures (P1, P2, & P3) to conduct any form of Student Travel without having advance approval and without following all applicable aspects of these procedures and other related policies and procedures. See policies 6600, 6620 and 6625 for proper transportation of students.

To have a better chance of receiving approval, all travel arrangements must adhere to the procedures developed to accompany and implement this policy. In accordance with recent state guidance, the State Travel service should be used for overnight trips. If State Travel is not used, all procurement and purchasing policies must be followed, including the attainment of proper bids and approvals. The Board is concerned about the financial demands placed upon families with a child/children wishing to participate in student travel events, as such travel is limited to the Continental US (lower 48). All school-sponsored activities are eligible for fee waivers. The impact of fee waivers may be covered in one of three ways: fundraising, donations, and/or the costs will be absorbed by a school budget or district support. Students who do not qualify for a fee waiver may not be levied an additional amount to help pay for students who do qualify for fee waivers. All costs for the trip, including food, are subject to fee waiver.

In an effort to protect overall financial impacts on families regarding student travel – along with all other impacts and concerns of travel – the board reserves the right to limit costs, distances, etc. regarding student travel. In so doing, the board may deny travel requests that would have excessive cost, undue loss of instructional time, minimal educational value, and/or other characteristic(s) that the board would deem to be an unworthy travel event.

The Board will not approve trip requests for travel outside of the Continental United States.

Non-School District (private) trips such as “Senior parties ” or “graduation” trips that take place after high school graduation or trips sponsored by staff or parent groups outside of the regular school calendar are not approved, sponsored, or otherwise endorsed by the School District. These trips are private, and/or commercial ventures and are not District “field trips.” There is no approval process since these are not school-sponsored trips, but the building principal must be notified, prior to any trip promotion by a staff member, of any independent private trip organized by a staff member and involving school district students. School communication systems, supplies, or equipment may not be used for the planning, promotion, or conduct of such trips.

Legal References & Synopsis

• Utah Code 53A-12-103
  • Waiver of Fees
• Utah Administrative Code Rule R277-407
  • School Fees
• Utah Administrative Code Rule R277-515
  • Utah Educator Standards
• Utah Administrative Code Rule R277-600
  • Student Transportation Standards & Procedures

Procedures & Forms

• Policy 4006 Procedure 1: Field Trips
• Policy 4006 Procedure 2: Overnight Travel
• 4006 Form 1: Student Travel Application
• 4006 Form 3 Release
• 4006 Form 4 Parent Approval for Student Overnight and or Extended Trip

Approved by Board of Education

• March 12, 2013

Revised

• October 10, 2016
• June 12, 2018
• September 17, 2018
• December 10, 2019
• February 11, 2020
• March 12, 2024