Policy EIA - Rules governing Student Extended Travel

Policy EIA - Rules for Governing Student Extended Travel (PDF)

Issue Date: August 21, 2019

Updated: November 15, 2023

Philosophy Statement

Consistent with its mission of empowering students to discover and pursue their dreams, Juab School District believes that limited, targeted field trips and travel activities may amplify the classroom education by expanding students’ understanding of their capabilities, responsibilities, and opportunities. 

This policy establishes procedures for field trips and travel activities.  These procedures are grounded in the following considerations:

1.         Consistency with the District’s mission,

2.         Safety,

3.         Time out of school,

4.         Educational purpose,

5.         Cost to students, families, the District, and/or the community,

6.         Team building, and

7.         Quality of travel experience.    

Every student travel activity shall comply with this policy and be evaluated under the seven considerations set forth above.  A travel request shall not be approved unless it satisfies the requirements of this policy and on balance is justified under the above-identified considerations as determined by the authorized decision maker.  Since a limited number of trips can be taken during a year, schools will need to draw priorities. When prioritizing travel activities, preference shall be given to those excursions that score highest under the identified seven conditions.

A travel activity under this policy is any school-sponsored field trip, out-of-town activity, overnight activity, or out-of-state activity.

Approval of Travel

Principals shall be responsible for coordinating development of student activity and travel plans. Generally, student activities shall be scheduled near the school and long distance or overnight travel should be limited.  In-state overnight trips require the approval of the principal and superintendent.  Out-of-state trips require the approval of the principal, superintendent, and Board of Education. 

Students Eligible for Overnight and Out-of-State Travel

Only high school students (grades 9-12) are eligible for overnight activities and out-of-state travel. 

Travel for Utah High School Activity Association (UHSAA) Activities

Activities which are sponsored by Juab School District and the Utah High School Activities Association shall comply with UHSAA guidelines to the extent such guidelines do not conflict with this policy or duly established District practices or procedures. Overnight and extended travel may be part of the educational program for high school students when the travel is for a UHSAA sponsored activity. The Board of Education through this policy hereby delegates to the superintendent the authority to authorize UHSAA overnight and extended travel trips.  Extended travel is defined as 150 miles or more outside of regular region competition. The group, team, or individual seeking approval for overnight travel and/or extended travel for a UHSAA-sponsored event shall provide the principal with at least 30 days’ notice.  If the principal approves of the trip, then the principal shall submit the matter to the superintendent for consideration.  An exception to the 30-day notice requirement is if 30 days prior to the event it is unknown whether the group, team, or individual will qualify for the activity.  Under this exception, the advisor, teacher, or coach of the entity seeking the travel opportunity shall provide the principal with notice as soon as reasonably practical.         

Overnight Travel – High School Students

Overnight travel may be part of the educational program for high school students when the anticipated educational benefits warrant the required expenditures, comparable experiences are not available at the local school, and the travel costs will not unduly burden families. 

The group, team, or individual seeking approval for overnight travel shall provide the superintendent with at least 30 days’ notice.  Exceptions to the 30-day notice requirement for overnight travel shall be made solely at the superintendent’s discretion.

Out-of-State Travel

Non-UHSAA sponsored, out of state, overnight travel must be first approved by the school principal and the superintendent.  If the principal and superintendent approve such out-of-state travel, the superintendent shall forward the travel request to the Board of Education for consideration.  The Board will not act on requests for out-of-state travel that have been denied by either the principal or superintendent.

Requests shall be submitted to the Board ninety (90) days prior to the out-of-state travel activity.  Applications for out-of-state travel are available in the school and District Office.  Incomplete applications or applications that do not meet the requirements of this policy will not be considered.

Out-of-state travel applications shall include:

• The name of the group, team, or individual requesting permission to travel,
• The educational objectives of the trip,
• The proposed destination, mode of travel, and number of students involved,
• Detailed itinerary,
• The number of school days missed – may not exceed three (3) consecutive school days,
• The estimated cost of the trip including fundraising,
• A list of advisors and adult supervisors,
• The principal and superintendent’s signature of approval,
• Documentation of parental notification as required under this policy, and
• Written rational for requested exceptions.

In its sole discretion and for good cause, the Board of Education may make exceptions to this policy for unexpected out-of-state travel requests.  

Use of District Vehicles for Out-of-State Travel

Due to the unenforceability of state government immunity tort caps outside of the state of Utah, Risk Management recommends that District buses and vehicles not be used for out-of-state travel.  Accordingly, generally, District buses and vehicles should not be used for out-of-state travel.  Notwithstanding the previous sentence, District buses and vehicles may travel out of state if such travel 1) is brief and expedient to access other parts of Utah, or 2) is brief and advantageous for financial or safety reasons.  For purposes of this policy, brief means thirty (30) miles or less.  For other types of out-of-state travel, vehicles and busses shall be rented and/or chartered with commercial companies that provide primary liability insurance.  Applicable insurance shall be verified by District personnel.  Large capacity passenger vans shall not be used to transport students.   

Limitations on Out-of-State Travel

No out-of-state travel opportunity shall be allowed if it causes a student to miss more than three (3) consecutive days of school.

No team or group is allowed more than one (1) out-of-state activity per year.

Funding of Travel Opportunities

For all overnight and out-of-state travel opportunities, the cost per student shall be included in the fee schedule and spend plan approved by the Board.

All travel-related fees must be waived, consistent with Utah Code Ann. §§53G-7-501-505 and R277-407, for students who have been determined to be eligible for fee waivers.

For unexpected and/or previous travel opportunities (eg. qualification for state or national competitions), the fee schedule and spend plan for that group, team, or program must be amended and approved by the Board.

All required funds for travel activities shall be paid prior to travel or expenditure of such funds. Cost per student shall not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500) per travel activity.

No funds may be expended for a travel activity until the activity has been approved by the authorized decision maker.

Personal Vehicles

No personal vehicles may be used for school sponsored travel activities. Parents or legal guardians wishing to transport their own children, with the approval of the administration and/or the team coach/adviser, will not be under the jurisdiction of the District.  All students who travel with their own parents must follow all school rules and directives from trip advisors.

Supervision

Supervision for student travel must be provided at a ratio of at least one (1) adult per ten (10) students. Supervisors shall be primarily school advisors and other school personnel but may also include volunteers, as approved by the school. If a volunteer (non-employee) will have significant unsupervised access to students as an advisor or supervisor, then that individual should have a criminal background check clearance consistent with Utah Code § 53G-11-410 and § 53G-11-410(2).

Student Conduct

Students are subject to all District, school, and state student conduct and discipline standards

during travel activities, including when traveling on school buses or commercial carriers.

Students will at all times obey directives from school advisors during travel, irrespective of the attendance of parent supervisors or chaperones. Students who disobey school rules or supervisor directives may be sent home immediately at their parents’ expense.

Parent Informed of Out-of-State Travel

The team or group seeking approval for an out-of-state activity shall hold a parent meeting of the students who potentially may participate in such travel activity.   A high school administrator must be present at this meeting.  During the meeting, parents shall be presented with the proposed itinerary, anticipated student cost, fundraising options for the travel activity, and the potential for non-refunds if the travel activity is canceled.

Permission Form

Prior to a student participating in an extended travel activity, the student’s parent(s) must give written permission for the student to participate in the travel activity.  Additionally, the participating student’s parent shall agree to the travel participation requirements and to pay the required costs of the travel activity.  The payment requirement is subject to applicable fee waiver laws.  Regularly scheduled events and activities do not require a separate permission form for each travel activity.     

No Student Penalties 

Students shall not be penalized for opting out of optional traveling activities.  Nonparticipation

shall not impact grades or the student's status in the team, class, or organization.

Upcoming Travel Activities

See Appendix “A” for upcoming travel activities.

Additional Recommendations from UHSAA

See Appendix “B

Appendix “A” – Upcoming Travel Activities

JHS Trips Overnight Out-of-State

JHS Trips Overnight In-State

Appendix “B” – UHSAA Recommended Guidelines

1.         Local boards of education and district superintendents should continually reaffirm the central purpose of schooling—the academic program of students.  Extracurricular activities should support the academic program.

2.         Local boards of education, superintendents and school principals should provide productive instruction for students who remain behind while their classmates and teachers are gone for participation in extracurricular activities.

3.         Local boards of education and district superintendents should disapprove travel for extracurricular activities that result in teachers and students being gone for more than two consecutive school days.

4.         The Utah High School Activities Association and schools should continue the practice of delaying the starting time for extracurricular activities until after school. In addition, the periodic realignment of the regions of the Utah High School Activities Association should continually seek to reduce travel and time out of school for students and teachers.

5.         Local boards of education and district superintendents should disapprove all travel, trips, excursions, appearances, cruises, etc., which are sponsored by commercial interests for profit.  Such travel represents a serious misuse and manipulation of schools and students. Approved travel for extracurricular activities should involve students in verified and documented educational experiences.

6.         Applied technology programs of the USBE should continue to reduce and/or eliminate the interruption of daily instruction and school absences which result from student and teacher participation in vocational leadership organizations, competitions and state, regional, and national meetings.  State, regional, and national meetings for vocational leadership students should be scheduled during the summer or at other times when school is not in session.

7.         In order to maintain equity in competitive sports programs, school administrators should not schedule full year fitness and movement (physical education/athletic) classes for specific school teams.  In schools where in season fitness and movement (physical education/athletic) classes are scheduled, such classes shall not be used to violate the starting and stopping dates for practice and competitive play as prescribed by the Utah High School Activities Association.