Field Trips have gotten so expensive

[Anonymous]

If it's a problem, talk to the guidance counselor - they have a fund to help support students who cannot afford the field trips

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Follow the money. They go to the Kid Museum because there is some family connection with a BOE member or MCPS employee who got MCPS to buy into their curriculum.

In Maryland, public school field trips connected to the curriculum are free of charge. If there is a charge, it's not part of curriculum and optional.

No, that’s not true at all. We’ve always paid.

That’s your problem. That’s not the Maryland law. If you are happy to be ripped off, then no worries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's a problem, talk to the guidance counselor - they have a fund to help support students who cannot afford the field trips

What fund? Show where that is in the budget.

No one should ever have to discuss their finances in a Maryland public school. Maryland public schools are free for all children. That’s in our constitution and laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

What? Teachers get ZERO kickbacks for whole class field trips. Only the international trips that are not sponsored by the school. they will get free travel. Learn facts before spewing your head off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

What? Teachers get ZERO kickbacks for whole class field trips. Only the international trips that are not sponsored by the school. they will get free travel. Learn facts before spewing your head off.

The day teachers are required to pay for the bus fees and admission fees for themselves out of their own money to take students on field trips is the day teachers stop planning/going on field trips. Most teachers hate field trips in elementary anyway but see value in proving real life opportunities to explore standards so they dutifully plan exciting learning opportunities that create so much more work and stress for the teacher. Now, charge them too? No longer worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's a problem, talk to the guidance counselor - they have a fund to help support students who cannot afford the field trips

You are really naive. Where do you think this $$ comes from? The principal has to budget for this, they do not get extra from the school district. This is one reason there are disparities between high farms and low farms schools. In my kids “focus” ES a huge part of the PTA budget went to helping the principal cover field trip costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

What? Teachers get ZERO kickbacks for whole class field trips. Only the international trips that are not sponsored by the school. they will get free travel. Learn facts before spewing your head off.

Look at the companies, the teachers get bonuses and other stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

What? Teachers get ZERO kickbacks for whole class field trips. Only the international trips that are not sponsored by the school. they will get free travel. Learn facts before spewing your head off.

Look at the companies, the teachers get bonuses and other stuff.

I have done multiple field trips, I do NOT get any bonus or “other” stuff. Stop with the lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

DP here and you are mistaken. The PP is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

And just to be crystal clear, the Busch Gardens thing is solely for music students. The morning is dedicated to competing in the music competition, and the afternoon is spend at the park. We left in the pre-dawn hours and came back to school at 10 or 11pm. Now my youngest is in high school, the music trips are further afield: the school rotates every year between New York, Chicago, Nashville and maybe a 4th city. The bands, orchestras and choirs all travel there, spend a couple of nights, perform and attend a show. It's 1K+ per kid.

These are optional trips, since they're costly, but the majority of the students end up going every year. I think there's some financial aid available for FARMS families.

[Anonymous]

This is what the PTA is for. Ask for funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

DP here and you are mistaken. The PP is correct.

Prove it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

And just to be crystal clear, the Busch Gardens thing is solely for music students. The morning is dedicated to competing in the music competition, and the afternoon is spend at the park. We left in the pre-dawn hours and came back to school at 10 or 11pm. Now my youngest is in high school, the music trips are further afield: the school rotates every year between New York, Chicago, Nashville and maybe a 4th city. The bands, orchestras and choirs all travel there, spend a couple of nights, perform and attend a show. It's 1K+ per kid.

These are optional trips, since they're costly, but the majority of the students end up going every year. I think there's some financial aid available for FARMS families.

Different trips. The several day trips are via tour groups and those give perks to the teachers. The PTA or boosters help with financial aid. They also add in extra for all the kids to cover the other kids. We stopped doing them as 3 days for $1K in a shared room with 4 kids is crazy high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$29 is cheap, OP. Where on earth were your kids going that only cost 6-10?

In middle school, the music field trip to Bush Gardens costs more than a 100, and in high school, it's more than a 1000 for an overnight trip to various US cities for music competitions.

You've seen nothing yet and you need to accept that your field trip budget will need to be adjusted. OR, that you need to ask for financial help.

But the prices you cite are par for the course.

They are that high as you pay for the chaperones and a private company to arrange it. They could do it much cheaper. Teachers get kickbacks from the tour companies.

There are no tour companies, PP. You're confusing school field trips with private international travel sponsored by a school language teacher. The latter are several thousand dollars and a complete rip-off (but some families still do them because they want their kids to travel and for various reasons, they can't travel as a family).

I chaperoned multiple field trips at Busch Gardens when my kids were in middle school, for their choir and orchestra groups, and I had to pay for my own ticket and was required to ride in the bus.

DP here and you are mistaken. The PP is correct.

Prove it.

https://www.schooltoursofamerica.com/why-travel-with-us

https://www.eftours.com/eliterature/etus/efschoolpoints.pdf

https://www.passports.com/2025 - This one clearly says "Cash and travel rewards for group leaders"