HPCSD Field Trip Guidance

BusHive — **Field Trip Request Software**

(For access, contact the Transportation Office at x4070)

Overnight Field Trip Request Form (staff use)

STAFF MEMBERS: All Field Trips that include an overnight stay require Board of Education approval. Use this form in addition to completing the on-line Field Trip information. Note: This form requires submission of additional information and administration signatures before going to the BOE. Allow 6 WEEKS to process.

BOE Policy 4531: Field Trips & Excursions

BOE policy 4531-R: Field Trips & Excursions Regulation

BOE policy 8415: Field Trip & Extracurricular Activity Transportation

BOE polcy 5420-R: Student Health Services Regulation

BOE polcy 5420-R: Student Health Services Regulation

Administering medication on field trips and at after-school activities.

Taking medication on field trips and at after-school activities is permitted if a student is self-directed in administering their own medication. On field trips or at other after-school activities, teachers or other school staff may carry the medication so that the self-directed student can take it at the proper time.

If a student is going on a field trip but is not self-directed (i.e., fully aware and capable of understanding the need and assuming responsibility for taking medicine), then the district may:

permit the parent or guardian to attend the activity and administer the medication.
permit the parent to personally request another adult who is not employed by the school to voluntarily administer the medication on the field trip or activity and inform the school district in writing of such request.
allow the student’s health care provider to be consulted and, if he/she permits, order the medication time to be adjusted or the dose eliminated.

If no other alternative can be found, a school nurse or licensed person must administer the medication.

Administering epi-pen in emergency situations.

The administration of epinephrine by epi-pen has become an accepted and extremely beneficial practice in protecting individuals subject to serious allergic reactions (e.g., individual has an anaphylactic reaction to a wasp sting or the ingestion of peanut butter).

Pursuant to Commissioner’s regulations, registered professional nurses may carry and administer agents used in non-patient specific emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.

In addition, pursuant to SED guidelines, school nurses may provide training to unlicensed school staff in administering epi-pens, epinephrine auto-injectors and glucagon prescribed by a licensed medical prescriber, to a child who has been diagnosed with the associated disease in accordance with the process described in this policy and regulation.

Field Trip Information for Staff

Chaperone Ratios

For all field trips, the following chaperone-to-student ratios are approximate and recommended:

Elementary school trips: 1 : 10
Secondary school trips: 1 : 15

Procedures For Day Trips

1. If district transportation will be requested, the teacher, coach or club advisor will first call the transportation department to determine the availability for the proposed trip date.

2. Teacher or advisor will then complete the district’s field trip request form via

and submit it to the appropriate administrator (either building principal or curriculum director) no less than three (3) weeks in advance for day trips.

NOTE: If district transportation is not being requested and a private carrier is being used, or if no transportation will be required (e.g., walking trips), then the advance call to the transportation department is not required. However, the transportation supervisor must approve all trip requests that involve either district buses or private carriers

3. The administrator reviews the submittal and approves the field trip request in BusHive. The request is automatically forwarded to the transportation supervisor.

Note: The administrator is responsible for sending forward only those requests that are timely and have all required information included.4. The transportation supervisor logs the transportation required to commit the resources, signs the transportation approval area, and forwards the approved field trip request to the superintendent’s office. This should be completed within one week of receipt.

4. The superintendent’s office reviews the request for completeness and, if appropriate, the superintendent signs the approval in BusHive.

5. Copies of approved request forms are returned to: the building principal; the curriculum director, if appropriate; the transportation supervisor; and the teacher(s)/advisor(s) requesting the trip.

6. If the field trip request is not approved by the superintendent, the teacher/advisor will be notified by e-mail

Note: No field trip should be presumed approved and scheduled until the signed approval is returned from the superintendent.

Procedures For Overnight Trips

Steps 1 – 4 of the Day Trips procedures apply, with the exception that the field trip request form should be submitted no less than seven (7) weeks in advance for overnight trips, since these require Board of Education approval.

1. Overnight field trip request forms must be received and stamped by the board clerk no later than one (1) month prior to the Board of Education meeting date at which board approval is anticipated. All prior approvals must be in place, including the review and approval by both the assistant superintendent for business and the superintendent of schools.

2. Following approval by the Board of Education, copies of approved request forms are returned to: the building principal; the curriculum director, if appropriate; the transportation supervisor, and the teacher(s)/advisor(s) requesting the trip.

Note: No overnight field trip should be presumed approved and scheduled until the signed approval is returned from the board clerk.

Note: If a private carrier is not being used, parents/guardians may transport their child(ren to/from the event. Students whose parents are not providing transportation will be provided transportation by an occasional driver designated by the District (lead agent of the trip). Both the private carrier and designated occasional driver’s vehicles are required to be inspected by the District’s transportation supervisor. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DRIVE THEMSELVES.

3. In addition, the responsible administrator must ensure that the following information required for overnight field trips is completed and available in the district office in a timely fashion prior to the departure date:

Trip information:

List of student names with each student’s parent/guardian emergency contact information.
List of chaperones and key contact person(s) with cellular telephone number(s).
Contact information for housing, if applicable.
Contact information for transportation carrier, if applicable.
Trip itinerary.

4. For overnight trips, the following completed and signed documents must be taken on the trip, with a duplicate complete file retained with the approving administrator:

Trip documents:

Field Trip / Overnight Permission Slip
Field Trip Transportation Permission Slip (if not using district transportation)
Code of Conduct Signed by Parent Transporting/Accompanying Student
Acceptance and Behavioral Contract
Self-Medication Release form
Authorization to Consent to Treatment for Minor
Medication Permission Request form
Student Health Information form

The following trip requirements must be met for overnight trips:

Room assignments must be separated by gender.
Chaperones must receive a duty checklist and have their responsibilities clearly delineated. Such a duty checklist must minimally include:
1. List of students for whom the chaperone is responsible.
2. Specific times for curfew and bed check.
3. Specific number of times and places for head counts. (Roll call head count is preferable.)