San Mateo High School 2012-2013 FIELD TRIP AND

							                                                San Mateo High School 2012-2013

FIELD TRIP AND CONFERENCE APPROVAL PROCEDURES FOR TEACHERS
Field Trip Request Forms and Student Permission Slips are located in Student Services Office. A completed Field Trip Request Form
must be submitted to the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction 30 days prior to the trip. The field trip must be approved
by the Department Chair and Cleared by the Assistant Principal of Administrative Services for placement on the Activities Calendar.
Overnight trips require the approval of the Principal and the School Board. For School Board approval, the appropriate forms must be
submitted seven weeks in advance before the field trip. To clarify procedures and needed information in preparing a request for Board
of Trustees’ approval of a school trip, secure the appropriate forms from the Main Office or the District website. The request should
be submitted in advance of the due date for Board materials for transmittal to the Superintendent for his recommendation for Board
action. (These dates are available on the school and district website calendars.) Teachers should allow at least six months to obtain
approval for travel to a foreign country.

Here’s a quick overview of the general process for the 2012-2013 school year for Field Trips and Conferences. Field trips require one
certificated employee. The ratio is 10 students to 1 chaperone.

         All Overnight field trips with students must be sent to the Associate Superintendent, Instruction, seven weeks in advance of
          the trip for Board level approval. If male and female students are participating, there must be a male and female chaperone.

         International field trips with students must be presented at an MPG (Principal’s) meeting for approval six months in
          advance of the trip before seeking Board approval. All paperwork should be submitted at least 10 weeks before the trip.

         Staff Conferences in California for staff/teachers for more than two nights must be sent to the Associate Superintendent,
          Instruction, six weeks in advance of the trip for district level approval. Staff conferences outside of California for
          staff/teachers for more than two nights must be sent to the Associate Superintendent, Instruction, at least seven weeks in
          advance of the trip for Board level approval.

     NOTE: All overnight, out-of-state or international school-sponsored trips must be submitted to the Associate Superintendent of
     Instruction by October 1 for Board consideration. All paperwork must still be presented to Instructional Services as noted above.
     An additional list must be submitted in late spring for early fall requests.

                                                             2012-2013

                                             In State                        Out of State                      International
                                            Overnight


         Field Trips                          Board                              Board                           Board
                                                                                                          (To MPG, 6 Months in
                                                                                                                Advance)

   Staff Conferences               Associate                   Board                     Board
                               Superintendent,
                                  Instruction
                              (2 or more nights)
Submit 7 weeks or more in advance to Instruction Department, attention Mary Anne Barrett
International Trip paperwork must be submitted at least 10 weeks in advance.
All overnight, out of state and international field trips must be in the pre-approval form that is due
October 1 and in late Spring.




The teacher in charge is solely responsible for the safety and conduct of the students. The California Education Code, Section 35330
requires that the district employee in charge of a field trip must have a first aid kit in his/her possession or immediately available. The
first aid kit is available at the Health Office and should be utilized.

Revised 9-17-12
30 Days before Field Trip:
___Complete Field Trip Request Form:
    o Secure a Field Trip Request Form from Student Services Office
    o Submit your request to the Assistant Principal of Instruction 30 days prior to the date of the trip. Complete the form
        including the appropriate number of chaperones.
    o Signature of approval from:
             o your Department Chairperson,
             o the Assistant Principal of Administrative Services,
             o the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction,
             o the Principal
             o Overnight and Out of State Field Trips: Signature approval required from the Board for overnight and out-of-state
                 field trips. There is an addition paperwork required. See the Administrative Asst. for the form. Go to district
                 website http://www.smuhsd.org/, find tab “Teacher and Staff”, click on “Field Trip” and download forms.

___Transportation:
   o To insure bus availability, bus transportation requisitions must be completed 30 days in advance of the trip as well. School
        buses are not free and must be ordered in advanced. There will be certain dates throughout the year when NO school buses
        will be available. These dates have already been set aside for plays, concerts, year-end trips, etc.
   o Student must go and return on school authorized transportation. There must be an adult school employee supervising in each
        vehicle. If you are planning on using a method of transportation other than buses, please see the section below regarding the
        transportation of students.
             o Private cars are never to be used for school transportation unless specific permission is obtained from the Principal.
                 Authorized trips will usually be by school bus or van. Use of private cars without prior permission may incur
                 personal liability for the driver. A SMUHSD Volunteer Driver’s Form must be on file in the Principal’s Office.
             o Student Driver: A student may drive only himself or herself to and from an event. Students may not transport other
                 students. Parent/guardian permission for a student to drive himself or herself must be provided.
             o Students who leave directly from the school site should be transported either by school officials, by their own
                 parents, or by district-provided transportation. The instructor should not, under any conditions, direct a student who
                 has a car to transport other students.
             o An instructor, as an employee of the district, may transport students in his/her car. His/her insurance coverage for
                 liability will take priority over district coverage, but the instructor will be covered by the district insurance as
                 secondary coverage.
             o A parent volunteer who serves to transport students may do so, and as a volunteer also act as an employee of the
                 district and comes under the coverage in the same manner as an instructor does who is transporting students. A
                 volunteer form must be completed and on file in the Principal’s office.
             o Hiring outside bus line transportation, vans or shuttles, for field trips must be licensed to drive students and be
                 School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) certified. The SPAB school was defined by the legislature in Section 546 VC.
                 This provides certain exceptions authorizing the use of vehicles other than school buses to transport pupils to or
                 from public or private school activities or residential schools, solely under contractual agreements between a school
                 and authorized carrier. Since the late 1930’s, the legislative intent has been clear; there are strict vehicle
                 requirements in order to transport school pupils in vehicles being operated in a manner which meets the definition of
                 a school bus or SPAB. The only vehicles other than a school bus authorized by law to transport school pupils
                 to/from school or school related activities are identified in subsections (a) – (j) of Section 545 VC. Drivers of these
                 authorized vehicles are required to have additional training, special licensing and criminal background checks, while
                 those licensed to drive limousines are not. The following bus lines that we can use for field trip are:
                  First Student School   Royal Coach     CYO Transportation       El Camino          Pacific Coast Mercury Tours.
o       For small groups of seven or less, the district vans are free. Call transportation for assistance and procedures (2447).

___Parent Consent Form:
    o Secure parent Consent Forms for all students going on the field trip. Have them signed by a parent/guardian and return to
        you before the field trip. Inform students they must arrange to make up work missed while on the field trip.
    o Students must obtain permission from his/her other teachers to be absent from class for a field trip.

___Fees:
    o Collect all pertinent fees, including transportation and admission, from students. Be aware that we cannot legally charge
        students for field trips; however, we can request a donation to cover their expenses. Inform students that arrangements will
        be made for any student who cannot contribute toward the field trip expenses.
    o All monies collected must be turned into the Financial Assistant on a daily basis as you collect them. If you need a check for
        a deposit or a reservation, complete a check request from at least two weeks prior to the date it is needed.

Revised 9-17-12
___Substitute:
    o You are responsible for arranging substitutes. Substitutes are paid with Department Chair days with approval of the
        Department chair. See the Administrative Assistant if you are unfamiliar with this procedure.
    o You are responsible for providing lesson plans to the substitute, roll sheets, etc.

5 days before the trip:

    o   EXCUSED LIST: Submit an alphabetical list of students going on the trip to the Bulletin Secretary in the Main Office, a
        the Attendance Office, and to smhs_globallist@smuhsd.org. Student ID # must be included. This list will appear in the
        bulletin at least 4days in advance
    o   Permission form must be signed by all of the student’s teachers for permission to attend your field trip. If the teacher
        is not okay for the student to attend the field trip, they need to state reason. Students may NOT attend if any teacher
        says “NO”.
    o   Collect all Parent Consent Forms and keep with you until you return from the trip.
    o   Double check with our Student Nutrition Lead, Reggie, and let her know you will have a field trip. Remember, you may
        have students on the free/reduced lunch program that may not have the resources to buy food on your field trip so by
        contacting Reggie, she can prepare meals for your students to take with them.

3 days before the trip:
    o Deadline to accept Parent Consent Forms is three days prior to the field trip date.
    o Check out First Aid kit from Health Office.

Day before the trip:
   o Confirm the transportation.

After the trip:
    o Place a list of students who did not attend the field trip in the bulletin and send it to the smhs_globallist@smuhd.org. . These
        students will receive a CUT unless they have been excused by their parent/guardian.
    o Return First Aid Kit to Health Office..




Revised 9-17-12