Wow.. we have never paid anything for a field trip. Today my 11th grader went to a museum for two lectures and some free time. She brought her lunch, but could have purchased her own. She has also gone to states for Science Olympiad twice and only paid for food when they chartered a bus. The only one we pay for is the DC 4 day trip. Everything else is covered. They have gone to lunch at a Japanese restaurant, pumpkin patch, various museums, local plays and shows, college fair.. I never really thought much about it. I'm sure we pay for it one way or another.
field trip question
- Thread starter Mizzoufan
- Start date
lizabu
Disney Maniac
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2011
Free field trips are pretty rare. They're typically things kids can walk to. Any other field trip we pay for. Many times they get group rates so they are fairly inexpensive. Generally the chaparone gets in free as a thank you for volunteering. Field trip need to be educational however I know when I was a kid we sometimes went to a restaurant and they would show up around the kitchen and talk about nutrition so it's possible to make a restaurant 'educational'.
aprilgail
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2001
Sure we always pay for our own- who would pay if not the parents of the kids?? Our district stopped more field trips a few years ago- except for one in 5th grade, one in 8th grade and one in 12st grade. They still have a couple that are outside of school hours and on weekends- my daughter is going to Hershey with Chorus leaving 6am Saturday morning and returning at 1am and its costing me 135.00 for tickets, bus and lunch.
Minnesota!
Shoeless in Minnesota
- Joined
- Sep 15, 1999
We pay a portion. A few weeks ago they had two field trips in a week...movie theater to see a kids movie and then bowling a few days later...we paid $5/kid. So, $10 total for me for 2 kids, 2/field trips 
Nature center will cost me about $3/kid, plays are about $5/kid. That includes transport, or parent chaperones drive
Nature center will cost me about $3/kid, plays are about $5/kid. That includes transport, or parent chaperones drive
bushdianee
<font color=green>I had a water fun day planned<br
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2004
In our district we aren't allowed to charge students for field trips. Some schools will ask for "donations" but we can't require payment. Our PTA pays for 1 bus per classroom and one admission of less than $10 per child each year. Plus we have to justify the trip as a learning experience so it has to tie into a lesson.
WorldWacky
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2010
Our field trips are few and far between. Those that the kids do have, are within the district and free. We have some local historical sites that the kids are bussed to, a national laboratory within the district boundary and our middle school actually has a small planetarium in it. My favorite field trip was to one of the beaches near a local college where the kids were taught about the local sea life by one if the college professors. That one got cut because it was taking time away from classroom instruction. Thank you NYS testing.
IndyRnRfan
Never take a laxative and sleeping pill together
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2015
It depends on the trips. Our schools trips were usually discounted for students, sometimes they were free though. I know every time our school used a bus, it was $65 plus you paid the drivers hourly rate which at that time was anywhere from $18-$24/hour. $15 seems like a good deal for getting pizza, drink, and game card.
Mickeyluver37
Currently Disney Deprived
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2001
It's been the norm here for as long as I can remember. And since our busses are all private contractors, we always pay for busses, too. So that trip would cost $25. My kids have taken trips to DC through the years for "free" venues and we always still have to pay $10-$15 just for the bus.
Dd14 is going to Hershey with the middle school choirs next month. I think I only paid $150, they will be leaving after school, having dinner, competing, staying at a hotel, and then the park the whole next day. Maybe it was $175.
aprilgail
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2001
That's a better deal! At least they get a hotel and are staying over- ours is a one day trip.
North of Mouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2011
Our schools would not have sponsored this to begin with - nothing educational about it!
IndyRnRfan
Never take a laxative and sleeping pill together
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2015
How do you know there is nothing educational about it? It could be a reward as well. Instead of a pizza party, they are going to the pizza.
For grades k-8 our pto pays for the bus for one field trip per grade. When my dd was in 1st grade her class did a calendar type fundraiser and thanks to 1 family afforded 3 xtra trips. The rest of the field trip is basically paid for by parents. Overnight trips are not a big thing here just optional 8th grade trips to NYC or DC for a few days over spring break. All of our field trip have to have be educational and usually involve bringing lunch so I doubt chuckecheese would get approved without a special part to it. However $15 for a bus, pizza, drink, and tokens doesn't sound bad.
Last year dd had a free Saturday field trip to 6 Flaggs with the 7&8th grade city band but it sold x amount of fundraising cards to go for free. I paid $25 total this year for 5th grader for 2 in school activities (wildlife nature thing, Paul Revere's House) and 2 out of school field trips to a play about the Underground Railroad and a history/science place. I thought it was a decent price for 4 activities but I know one mother complained. There is financial assistance available. I'm not sure how high school works or if they do many field trips. The day that Sophomores and juniors took PSATs all the freshman went to visit colleges free of cost. I don't think there are any other grade wide trips.
Last year dd had a free Saturday field trip to 6 Flaggs with the 7&8th grade city band but it sold x amount of fundraising cards to go for free. I paid $25 total this year for 5th grader for 2 in school activities (wildlife nature thing, Paul Revere's House) and 2 out of school field trips to a play about the Underground Railroad and a history/science place. I thought it was a decent price for 4 activities but I know one mother complained. There is financial assistance available. I'm not sure how high school works or if they do many field trips. The day that Sophomores and juniors took PSATs all the freshman went to visit colleges free of cost. I don't think there are any other grade wide trips.
slo
My tag used to say - I'm a Tonga Toast Junkie 😁
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2004
I've always paid for field trips in our school system.
I'm not sure if it's the full amount (the school may get a discount cause it's a large group), but we do pay something.
Our Girl Scout troupe doesn't ask for full payment on field trips, because we use $$ from cookie sales to help fund the trips.
I'm not sure if it's the full amount (the school may get a discount cause it's a large group), but we do pay something.
Our Girl Scout troupe doesn't ask for full payment on field trips, because we use $$ from cookie sales to help fund the trips.
DisneyCowgirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2004
At my kids' school (public elementary), there are only 2 field trips per year, they are closely-linked to the curriculum (no chuckee cheese), and the PTA pays for them (so that no one is excluded as there are students at our school who would not be able to afford the trips). Our PTA has a pretty big budget though.
luvsJack
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
Some we pay for, some we don't. In lower grades, we paid for lunch and maybe $2-3 "transportation fee".
In hs, there are trips that the choir takes and class trips. Choir is usually for a performance or competition and we pay for their meals but the school has pitched in to pay for them to eat somewhere nice. Class trips are limited to late spring and usually after state tests. The class being tested takes a trip for a reward (Algebra, Biology, Eng II and History), dd took 2 trips her first year since she took two state tests. These are paid for by the school. Algebra--went out to eat and bowling. Biology--went to the coast and took a boat ride to a little island for the day (they fished, swam, laid out, etc.), Eng II went to a movie, lunch and arcade, US History is this year so we'll have to see what he has planned.
In hs, there are trips that the choir takes and class trips. Choir is usually for a performance or competition and we pay for their meals but the school has pitched in to pay for them to eat somewhere nice. Class trips are limited to late spring and usually after state tests. The class being tested takes a trip for a reward (Algebra, Biology, Eng II and History), dd took 2 trips her first year since she took two state tests. These are paid for by the school. Algebra--went out to eat and bowling. Biology--went to the coast and took a boat ride to a little island for the day (they fished, swam, laid out, etc.), Eng II went to a movie, lunch and arcade, US History is this year so we'll have to see what he has planned.
bcla
On our rugged Eastern foothills.....
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
My kid isn't old enough for any elementary school or higher field trip. They have gone places before in preschool, but it's private preschool so they might have different policies.
I remember when I was a kid going to Catholic or public school, pretty much all our field trips required a signed permission form along with payment from our parents. The cost was almost always nominal - whatever the entrance fee was, along with transportation costs. Once we took public transportation (San Francisco Bay Area's BART) and the only cost was the ticket - with this museum having free admission. We actually could have gotten discounted child tickets (90% discount off of adult farE) if our school had contacted the transit agency. Most of the time we had to take a bus (always a yellow school bus no matter which school) and the transportation fee was probably small. Most of these didn't include meals, and we were responsible for buying our own.
Heck - once it was a tour of a military base and our teacher had taken several groups there over the years. They had a restaurant on base that was supposed to be really cheap. However, when we got on the base we were told it was closed for some reason and we got back to school without lunch. This was the Catholic school and we didn't normally have cafeteria-style lunch service, except that this was also the one day a week our school had hot dogs for sale. They had enough left over so we didn't go hungry.
I remember when I was a kid going to Catholic or public school, pretty much all our field trips required a signed permission form along with payment from our parents. The cost was almost always nominal - whatever the entrance fee was, along with transportation costs. Once we took public transportation (San Francisco Bay Area's BART) and the only cost was the ticket - with this museum having free admission. We actually could have gotten discounted child tickets (90% discount off of adult farE) if our school had contacted the transit agency. Most of the time we had to take a bus (always a yellow school bus no matter which school) and the transportation fee was probably small. Most of these didn't include meals, and we were responsible for buying our own.
Heck - once it was a tour of a military base and our teacher had taken several groups there over the years. They had a restaurant on base that was supposed to be really cheap. However, when we got on the base we were told it was closed for some reason and we got back to school without lunch. This was the Catholic school and we didn't normally have cafeteria-style lunch service, except that this was also the one day a week our school had hot dogs for sale. They had enough left over so we didn't go hungry.
Mommee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
our 8th grade is going to a holocaust museum next month. They will be stopping at the mall to eat at the food court. maybe schools have figured out its a good way to feed them quickly while giving them choices.
Luv Bunnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
My (public school) preschool class is going on a field trip next month to a children's museum. The cost is $14 per child - $8 for the school bus and $6 for the entry fee. Parent chaperones can ride the bus for free, but still need to pay $6 to enter the museum.
I recall that both of my boys went on field trips to a Mexican restaurant in 2nd grade. I chaperoned one of them and got to see what they did. Everyone had to wash their hands before entering the kitchen area. They got to watch the employees prepping for the day, cutting produce, etc. We went out to the dining room and the manager showed the kids how they mix to dough to make tortillas. Each child was giving a piece of dough to knead and roll into a ball. Then they lined up at the tortilla oven (a long oven with a conveyor belt and a window so they could see what was going on inside). The manager put each child's dough into the oven so they could watch it go through. At the other end, an employee would catch their finished tortilla on a plate. One of the chaperones would take the plate (since the tortilla was very hot) and walk the child to a seat at the table. After everyone had their tortillas, they brought out cheese, rice, beans, and salsa. We went around and let the kids choose what they wanted on their plates. They could eat the tortilla plain or make their own little burrito. It was an educational experience and was a nice way for the restaurant to do a little community relations work.
I recall that both of my boys went on field trips to a Mexican restaurant in 2nd grade. I chaperoned one of them and got to see what they did. Everyone had to wash their hands before entering the kitchen area. They got to watch the employees prepping for the day, cutting produce, etc. We went out to the dining room and the manager showed the kids how they mix to dough to make tortillas. Each child was giving a piece of dough to knead and roll into a ball. Then they lined up at the tortilla oven (a long oven with a conveyor belt and a window so they could see what was going on inside). The manager put each child's dough into the oven so they could watch it go through. At the other end, an employee would catch their finished tortilla on a plate. One of the chaperones would take the plate (since the tortilla was very hot) and walk the child to a seat at the table. After everyone had their tortillas, they brought out cheese, rice, beans, and salsa. We went around and let the kids choose what they wanted on their plates. They could eat the tortilla plain or make their own little burrito. It was an educational experience and was a nice way for the restaurant to do a little community relations work.
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