$53 for a field trip?!

[Anonymous]

I just received an invoice for a field trip to a Smithsonian museum. It was for $53. Is it just me or is that outrageously expensive?

I do not know if that includes lunch but our school usually does brown bag because of timing issues.

[Anonymous]

Is that for the bus?

[Anonymous]

How much are the field trips usually?

[Anonymous]

That is very high. Museum should be free. Are they doing a private bus?

[Anonymous]

Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

[Anonymous]

It’s a private bus, they always use charters. The last field trip was $40 which was to a baseball game with lunch a private charter.
I understand busses cost money but $53 is astronomical when the venue is free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

This is interesting. So would they use MCPS busses for a Title I school, but instead charter a bus, and charge $$ for those in other areas? Not OP, but felt this was a rather large amount for a public school field trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

This is interesting. So would they use MCPS busses for a Title I school, but instead charter a bus, and charge $$ for those in other areas? Not OP, but felt this was a rather large amount for a public school field trip.

I am a teacher that have put together field trip packets. I have no clue about title 1 schools as I never worked in one. The charter bus has nothing to do with the area that you live in. It has everything to do with how many busses are needed, the amenities on the busses (bathroom on bus, for example) and how many children they guess will be present on the field trip. It also depends on which charter company they use, the hours or peak hours the bus is needed, the distance the bus has to drive. It is very complicated.

[Anonymous]

Wait until high school and the music classes are invited to participate in competitions in other cities and they ask for $1200 per kid: charter bus to Chicago or New Yok, shared hotel rooms, food, fee for competition, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

This is interesting. So would they use MCPS busses for a Title I school, but instead charter a bus, and charge $$ for those in other areas? Not OP, but felt this was a rather large amount for a public school field trip.

I am a teacher that have put together field trip packets. I have no clue about title 1 schools as I never worked in one. The charter bus has nothing to do with the area that you live in. It has everything to do with how many busses are needed, the amenities on the busses (bathroom on bus, for example) and how many children they guess will be present on the field trip. It also depends on which charter company they use, the hours or peak hours the bus is needed, the distance the bus has to drive. It is very complicated.

With your experience, is $53 a standard cost for a field trip to a Smithsonian? What kind of prices did you see ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

This is interesting. So would they use MCPS busses for a Title I school, but instead charter a bus, and charge $$ for those in other areas? Not OP, but felt this was a rather large amount for a public school field trip.

I am a teacher that have put together field trip packets. I have no clue about title 1 schools as I never worked in one. The charter bus has nothing to do with the area that you live in. It has everything to do with how many busses are needed, the amenities on the busses (bathroom on bus, for example) and how many children they guess will be present on the field trip. It also depends on which charter company they use, the hours or peak hours the bus is needed, the distance the bus has to drive. It is very complicated.

It does if the parents of your students can't afford charters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes for trips downtown they charter a bus because the time window to use MCPS buses is too short to get there, have a decent field trip, and make it back on time. That adds a ton of cost.

This is correct information.

This is interesting. So would they use MCPS busses for a Title I school, but instead charter a bus, and charge $$ for those in other areas? Not OP, but felt this was a rather large amount for a public school field trip.

I was a Title 1 school parent for many years. We simply did not take field trips like this that had high fees. Even a moderate or low fee trips are also funded from the PTA for families who cannot afford the fees.

[Anonymous]

Yeow. What age is your student?

We had a $50 field trip to Philadelphia when our kids were in 5th grade, but they were very clear that there were scholarships for anyone who asked. Since covid, it think the school seldom asks for more than $20/trip, with the same info about scholarships. I don't know if the PTA is covering the difference.

$53 to go to a smithsonian is kind of nuts.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't pay $53 for my kid to go to a basic Smithsonian visit. That's ridiculous.