School Sponsored Field Trips

    • All requests for school trips shall be submitted in writing on the school trip request form. A detailed itinerary must be attached which includes:
      • The place or places to be visited
      • A daily schedule of all activities
      • The dates, times, and places of departure and return.

    • No requests shall be considered unless all information is provided on the trip request. Information must include:
      • Names of school system employees who are chaperoning
      • Method of transportation – public conveyance or by school vehicles driven by certified drivers
      • Driver name if school transportation is being used.

    • The teacher who has planned the trip or who has been assigned responsibility for the trip, or an administrative staff member must accompany each group along with an appropriate number of adult chaperones. (Recommendation 1 adult per 15-20 elementary/middle/high students)

    • Regularly scheduled athletic contests do not require trip approval. Some special athletic events do require trip approval, i.e., overnight trips for special events, 6th grade managers for athletics.

    • Overnight school sponsored trips are for students enrolled in the specified program and their adult chaperones only.

    • Chaperones responsible for the care of students must be parents, grandparents, or legal guardians of a student in the program or Surry County Schools employees approved by the principal.

    • Parents who volunteer to chaperone school sponsored trips are not allowed to ride on yellow school buses. Volunteers, approved by the school principal in accordance with Surry County Schools’ policies and procedures, may be allowed to ride activity buses or school system owned vehicles.

    • The School Improvement Team and/or principal shall review and consider for approval all school trip requests. The review shall ensure:
      • that all school trips are an integral part of the curriculum,
      • that student safety and supervision needs have been addressed,
      • that loss of school time is kept to a minimum, and
      • that provisions have been made for students unable to pay any assessments for the trip.

    • The School Improvement Team and/or principal shall consider input from all those on a staff who are affected by such trips. All staff shall be notified of the monthly field trip schedule. The School Improvement Team and/or principal shall also develop an annual plan for all school trips.

    • The School Improvement Team and/or principal may recommend approval or denial of any requests to the principal based on the criteria listed above and when applicable, any other unique circumstances which are relevant to specific requests. The School Improvement Team may establish procedures whereby requests which are denied can be re-submitted with recommended changes if the trip is determined to be educationally sound, but procedural details need to be refined.

    • The principal shall make the final decision regarding all school sponsored trips with the exception of trips requiring central office approval.

    • All trips, except overnight trips, must be approved by the principal prior to the beginning of the month in which the trip will occur. For special events, the principal may approve a trip submitted at least 5 days in advance.

    • Out-of-state trips utilizing Surry County Schools’ transportation require approval of the Director of Transportation.

    • Overnight trips within the state of North Carolina require the additional approval of the Board of Education.

    • Overnight trips outside of the state of North Carolina require the additional approval of the Board of Education.

    • Overnight trips including water activities (such as swimming) must include a detailed plan to address safety and supervision of students.

    • Requests for overnight trip approval must be received by the Superintendent/designee at least ten calendar days prior to the Board meeting atwhich approval will be requested.

    • Fundraising activities for school sponsored trips, which require approval from the Board of Education, may not begin prior to receiving approval for the trip.

    • Requests for trips, which require fundraising, may be presented to the Board of Education for approval prior to completion of the final itinerary.

    • The Assistant Superintendent or the Board of Education will not consider any requests that have not been first approved by the principal.

    • The following school trips must be submitted to the Board of Education after they have been reviewed and endorsed by the School Improvement Team and/or principal:
      • All Elementary school trips which deviate from the administrative rules
      • All Water related trips
      • All amusement park related trips; and
      • All overnight trips.