Field Trips Guidelines

The primary purpose of field trips is to provide opportunities for learning that enrich and reinforce classroom learning objectives and state standards. Field trips are intended to be extensions of the District’s educational program, not solely for entertainment or as a reward for student behavior or academic performance. To ensure compliance with these goals, educational field trips shall be planned and conducted in accordance with the following guidelines and policy IJOA.

Preliminary Planning

1. All field trips must be planned by the field trip Supervisor in consultation with the school principal. The school principal must approve of the field trip prior to any arrangements being made.
2. All field trips must relate to District learning goals and objectives. In planning a field trip, the Supervisor shall review the educational value of the experience and its relationship to District learning goals and objectives with the school principal.
3. No field trip may endanger the health or safety of the participants. The school principal shall not approve any field trip that may present a health risk to students or staff.
4. The school principal shall ensure that a variety of field trips are offered from year to year, to avoid students repeating the same experiences year after year.
5. Once the Supervisor receives approval from the school principal, they must secure permission for the field trip from designated representatives of the agency to be visited. In addition, the Supervisor should obtain information from the agency about the safety of the experience, including: any hazards which could be encountered, recommended student/adult ratios, and expected behavior and dress standards. The Supervisor should also inquire about fees associated with the field trip.

Field Trip Request Form

1. After obtaining the approval of the school principal, permission from the agency, and all necessary information about the field trip, the principal must create a copy of the online field trip request form and share it with the Supervisor. The Supervisor shall complete the online field trip request form and a transportation request (if applicable). The school principal must approve and sign the field trip request form before any other arrangements are made. If more than one school is involved in the trip, each school principal must initial the request form to indicate approval.
2. Any overnight trip and/or trips outside of the state of Colorado must additionally     be approved by the Superintendent and the Chief Financial Officer (who shall ensure that adequate insurance has been secured). There may be a request to update the Board of Education about the experience.
3. International trips are not currently supported by the district’s insurance, policies or procedures. The district is open to supporting the addition of international trips that are district-sponsored, however 12 months notice to the Superintendent is required before attempting to offer such a trip.

School Bus Transportation

1. Once the field trip request form has been approved by all necessary District personnel, the Supervisor shall ensure that the transportation request form is submitted to the appropriate transportation official. Please submit requests at least two weeks prior to the event.
2. Bus transportation will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Returns to the District can be scheduled after 3:00 pm (or 15 minutes prior to the current end of school bell schedule) if arrangements have been made for students returning to their homes (exceptions may be made for sporting events).
3. The Transportation Department assumes, upon receipt of a request for transportation, that the Supervisor has confirmed the date, times, and drop-off/pick-up location with the agency to be visited.

Other Forms of Transportation

1. Teachers may take students on educational field trips within a reasonable walking distance of the school with approval of the school Principal. Walking field trips must include an appropriate number of adults to ensure all students are safe along the walk. Parents shall be notified that the students will be walking and asked to ensure the student wears appropriate footwear.
2. In order to utilize public transportation buses, arrangements must be made between the school and the company directly. The school is responsible for payment. Parents must grant permission for the student to utilize public transportation. Students must remain with a teacher or adult volunteer during the entire trip.
3. Staff members may obtain special permission to transport students in private vehicles in accordance with policy EEAG: Student Transportation in Private Vehicles. 
4. Parents/adult volunteers shall not transport students in private vehicles. 

Insurance Requirements

Certain field trips may require additional insurance for the participants (i.e., out-of-state or overnight trip). If a field trip of this type is planned, the Chief Financial Officer must be notified and his/her signature must be obtained indicating that adequate insurance has been secured before the trip will be approved.

Parent Notification

Once a field trip has been approved, Supervisor must provide parents with the following information in writing:

1. The purpose and destination of the trip which includes a description of the classroom learning objectives and state standards being enriched/reinforced;
2. Mode of transportation;
3. Eating arrangements;
4. Pertinent safety information, such as recommended clothing or shoes;
5. Date;
6. Time of departure, estimated time of return, and a detailed itinerary when a field trip extends beyond a regular school day;
7. The phone number for the school front office, to be used if parents need to reach their student while on a field trip;
8. Information about how to opt their student out of the field trip

Parental Permission

Parental permission for standard (non-overnight) field trips is collected during student registration. 

Participation of Students

All students should be permitted to participate in field trips. Some students may require a specific plan or additional support to be able to participate, and schools will do their best to provide these accommodations.  In rare cases students may not be permitted to participate in a field trip. Students who are not permitted to participate and remain at school during the field trip must be given appropriate assignments during the time of the field trip.

Supervision

1. Each field trip must have sufficient adults to provide safe supervision. A ratio of one adult to ten students is recommended for elementary students. A ratio of one adult to fifteen students is recommended for secondary schools. The ratios may be modified with the approval of the school principal.
2. Each field trip shall have a designated Supervisor, who is the individual sponsoring, organizing and overseeing the trip. This person completes the online field trip request form.
3. The Supervisor is responsible for arranging for adult volunteers required to achieve the safe student to staff ratios described above. The Supervisor is also responsible for informing the volunteers of their duties and responsibilities prior to the trip. 
4. Adult volunteers should not be recruited from staff who are otherwise fulfilling their contractual obligations (e.g. other school staff) unless those staff members are taking Personal Time Off (PTO) to participate in the field trip. A school principal may choose to make exceptional arrangements for building staff to serve as adult volunteers without taking Personal Time Off (PTO), however the participation of such staff members  shall not negatively impact school operations, for example if there are insufficient substitutes available. 
5. Students will not be permitted to leave the field trip group unless they are released to parents.
6. If students return to the school from a field trip after school hours, the teacher will make arrangements for their safe departure home, taking into account the age of the students and the hour of return.
7. If an adult arrives wishing to join the field trip with a student, and the adult is not known to the teacher or other district employees chaperoning the trip, the teacher shall ask the adult to identify themselves and call the school to ensure that the adult is on the child’s pick up / contact list.
8. There must be at least one adult on every field trip with a current First Aid and CPR certification per 6 CCR 1010-6, Sec. 13(C).

Cost

Field trips will be approved on the basis of availability of funds. Care should be exercised to assure that the cost of the field trip is matched by the educational gains to be reaped by the trip. Students may be charged a moderate fee to cover admission in an educational field trip because of the expense. Scholarship aid should be provided for students needing assistance and included in the planning of the field trip.

Safety

1. The Supervisor has primary responsibility for the conduct of the students. The Supervisor should clearly define acceptable standards of conduct with the students and supervising adults in advance of the field trip.
2. Prior to the field trip the Supervisor should attempt to identify those conditions, locations, and specific actions, which may be hazardous and take reasonable steps to avoid those hazards, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury or property damage.
3. If a hazard presents itself during the trip, the Supervisor should take action to ensure students avoid the hazard even if it means termination of the trip.
4. Should an emergency situation occur on the field trip, the Supervisor is responsible for notifying the appropriate emergency personnel and the school principal as soon as possible. If medical attention is required, parents will be contacted immediately.

Review/Evaluation

1. After the field trip, the Supervisor will review and evaluate the learning experiences with the students, with the goal of helping the students relate what they learned during the field trip to units or topics being studied in the classroom. If a field trip has proven to be unsatisfactory, the Supervisor must file a letter with the school principal outlining the reasons for dissatisfaction.

Letters of Appreciation

1. After the field trip, the Supervisor should prepare and send a letter of appreciation to the person(s) who made the field trip possible, including parent volunteers, the agency sponsoring the experience, and/or donors who funded the experience. Students should participate in showing their appreciation when feasible.

Overnight Field Trip Guidelines

The following guidelines shall be additionally required for any overnight trip.

1. Site Selection: The responsible Supervisor shall personally verify that the housing or camping facilities are safe and conducive to accomplishing the objectives of the field trip. The facilities should be easy to supervise, clean, able to accommodate the group, and be handicap accessible. Facilities shall also accommodate appropriate supervision and privacy for various groups of students.
2. Norms, Expectations, and Parental Permission: Permission slips should be sent home at least two weeks before the date of the field trip, along with a list of the norms and expectations for the trip. The list of norms and expectations shall be approved by the school principal prior to being distributed to students. The permission slip signed by the student’s parent/guardian and an “Acknowledgement of Student Responsibilities” signed by the student and his/her parent/guardian must be received before the student is permitted to participate. The list of norms and expectations must include, at a minimum, the following:
   1. Safe practices relating to all activities, including transportation;
   1. Curfew rules, if applicable;
   1. General conduct expectations, which reflect, at a minimum, District conduct and behavior standards;
   1. Statements concerning prohibitions on the use and/or possession of alcohol or drugs; 
   1. Expectations for parents and students for transporting a student who is asked to leave the trip for any reason; and,
   1. Any additional rules or expectations related to the specific field trip, designed to ensure the safety of all participants.
3. Supervision
   1. A ratio of one adult to eight students is required for overnight trips unless the Athletic Director or the Superintendent provides an exception.
   1. Each field trip shall have a designated Supervisor, who is the individual sponsoring, organizing and overseeing the trip. This person completes the online field trip request form.
   1. The Supervisor organizing the field trip is responsible for arranging for adult volunteers required to achieve the safe student to staff ratios described above. The Supervisor is also responsible for and informing the volunteers of their duties and responsibilities prior to the trip. 
   1. Any adult volunteer participating in an overnight field trip who is not a district staff member must have a background check completed via the Human Resources Department and must also complete a district waiver.
   1. Adult volunteers should not be recruited from staff who are otherwise fulfilling their contractual obligations (e.g. other school staff) unless those staff members are taking Personal Time Off (PTO) to participate in the field trip. A school principal may choose to make exceptional arrangements for building staff to serve as adult volunteers without taking Personal Time Off (PTO), however the participation of such staff members shall not negatively impact school operations whenever possible, for example if there are insufficient substitutes available.
   1. The District employees acting as supervisors are responsible for providing a written list of duties and responsibilities to each adult volunteer. A meeting must be held prior to the trip to discuss and clarify the expectations for adults and students while on the trip.
   1. All adults participating in the trip are held to the same standards for alcohol and drug use as students and therefore should not possess, use, or be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any time during the trip.
   1. District employees who are not fully qualified to supervise the trip should co-opt or employ qualified individuals or organizations to take charge of the more technical activities included in the field trip.
4. Emergencies
   1. The Supervisor shall prepare and bring a complete list of names and telephone numbers of the participants and their emergency contact information, as well as a list of District employees/ administrators for parents to contact in the event of an emergency. Copies of these lists will remain with the school administration.
   1. Arrangements must be made for emergency transportation.
   1. Plans for emergency communications must be established including arrangements to inform parents of changes in the itinerary, which may affect them, (i.e. return time or location).

Adopted: September 2026

                         LEGAL REF.:C.R.S. 13-22-107 (parental liability waivers)

                         CROSS REFS.: Administrative policies:

                                       EEAG, Student Transportation in Private Vehicles

Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado

Policy Code

IJOA-R