In our budget we set a specific amount per grade to defray the costs of transportation for field trips. This year it is $225/grade. The teachers are expected to work with the Principal to setup a field trip. They have to call the bus companies and work out the total cost of the trip, although they can plan for that $225 from the PTO. If the Principal can't cover the reamining costs, the teachers need to determine how much it will be per student and get that from their parents.

In the end, the Principal collects the money (if any) from the kids and pays for all the expenses. The PTO reimburses the school up to the specified amount for the bus (and we get a copy of the bus bill for our records).

If a teacher finds a cheap bus, then they may use the rest of the $225 for another field trip later in the year. If the busses are more expensive the PTO only pays what we promised.


BTW: A few years ago we paid for 1 bus per grade regardless of price and we found there was a large discrepency between grades. One grade was spending $450 and another spent under $200. It was also hard to budget for that, so we went to the flat fee/grade method.

Our SBDMs pay for our field trips, pretty much the bus gas and driver,I think. Students have to pay whatever the cost of the trip is (food and a ticket,usually not over $10).If a student cannot pay the cost of the field trip they are referred to the Family Resource or Youth Service Center. They have funds to help out students who need help paying for the trip.

Hi!!!! MY PTO pays $5.00 per student to be used for a field trip. Other than that the teachers have to fund raise if they want another one. The teachers are the ones who plan their trips so they know how much it costs to go. With all the budget cuts & gas prices, they now have to pay for their buses. The PTO did pay for buses in Dec. when the whole school went to the movies. I think its wrong of teachers to expect the PTO to pay for all their field trips. As for the teachers who do not collect your required $1.00, write them a check for their budgeted amount, anything else is out of pocket. Maybe then they will collect the $1.00. It might be time to look at budgeting a certain amt. to be used on field trips with each class getting the same amt. & that would give the teachers an idea of what they have to use for field trips & how much to fund raise. Good luck!!!!!

[ 02-08-2006, 07:04 AM: Message edited by: Renee S ]

I am wondering how your school handles field trips. Are you allowed a certain number per classroom? And who pays for them?

I believe our corporation pays for 2 (maybe it's only 1 now with the gas situation) per classroom per school. The PTO picks up the tab on all of the rest of them. We have asked that the teachers collect $1 above the cost of admission to wherever they are going to help offset the bus expense. Some do...some don't. Their "so-what" attitude really gets under my skin sometimes.

Anyway, in the teachers' defense, I truly don't think they were aware of how much a FT actually costs until it was brought up at a staff meeting a couple of weeks ago. After the meeting a couple of teachers cancelled planned field trips, which I hate for the kids' sake, but love from the PTO Treasurer's viewpoint. However, we have one teacher who has already had at least 2 (maybe 3) trips, has a VERY long one (appox. 100 miles) planned for tomorrow, and now I hear that she has another one scheduled for next week or the week after. :eek: I feel as if the PTO is being taken advantage of. I am definitely going to raise the issue of limiting FTs for next year at the next meeting.