Expensive Field Trips- Montgomery

[Anonymous]

Does no one ever have parents drive anymore? I'm 30 and every field trip I ever went on had parents drive kids in their vans and chaperone.

[Anonymous]

Much more fuel efficient, and logistically easier, to have everyone on a bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does no one ever have parents drive anymore? I'm 30 and every field trip I ever went on had parents drive kids in their vans and chaperone.

Liability. That would never happen today.

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader's trip to Medieval Times was $50 all included: bus, tickets, lunch.

I paid nearly that much for him to go to Mount Vernon and St Mary's City in 5th and 4th grade, respectively.

This is why most PTAs allocate funds to students who cannot pay the field trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My 7th grader's trip to Medieval Times was $50 all included: bus, tickets, lunch.

I paid nearly that much for him to go to Mount Vernon and St Mary's City in 5th and 4th grade, respectively.

This is why most PTAs allocate funds to students who cannot pay the field trips.

Medieval Times makes hundred of thousands of dollars because somehow MCPS is convinced that 7th graders should see that horse and pony show. It is the biggest rip off and it has nothing to do with anything about medieval Europe that the students learn about. However, it is popular and kids enjoy it and so I don't become all Scroogy about this one trip.

If you take an MCPS school bus for a field trip, the cost is not that much but availability of the bus may be dicey based on timing etc. I have chaperoned field trips in MCPS buses and I must say that the buses are TERRIBLE. The seats are uncomfortable and narrow, small windows, extremely noisy engines, no heating or AC and the smell of exhaust is horrible and it is a very rough ride. The charter buses are comfy, roomy, have bigger windows, less noise, and more cushioned ride. If parents at your school are affluent, you should always go for the charter bus. It is even worth paying for other students who cannot pay full price. Unfortunately, our school is not that affluent and we get a mix of mcps and charter buses.

Another reason field trips are expensive is because of insurance. That is the reason why no parent car-pool is allowed. No one wants the liability and especially not the school.

[Anonymous]

A bus is $500 a day to rent. For a field trip staff are required to call three bus companies, but they are usually the same price. A lot of the buses used for field trips are not county owned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does no one ever have parents drive anymore? I'm 30 and every field trip I ever went on had parents drive kids in their vans and chaperone.

Liability. That would never happen today.

Yes helicopters like to worry and sue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My 7th grader's trip to Medieval Times was $50 all included: bus, tickets, lunch.

I paid nearly that much for him to go to Mount Vernon and St Mary's City in 5th and 4th grade, respectively.

This is why most PTAs allocate funds to students who cannot pay the field trips.

Medieval Times makes hundred of thousands of dollars because somehow MCPS is convinced that 7th graders should see that horse and pony show. It is the biggest rip off and it has nothing to do with anything about medieval Europe that the students learn about. However, it is popular and kids enjoy it and so I don't become all Scroogy about this one trip.

If you take an MCPS school bus for a field trip, the cost is not that much but availability of the bus may be dicey based on timing etc. I have chaperoned field trips in MCPS buses and I must say that the buses are TERRIBLE. The seats are uncomfortable and narrow, small windows, extremely noisy engines, no heating or AC and the smell of exhaust is horrible and it is a very rough ride. The charter buses are comfy, roomy, have bigger windows, less noise, and more cushioned ride. If parents at your school are affluent, you should always go for the charter bus. It is even worth paying for other students who cannot pay full price. Unfortunately, our school is not that affluent and we get a mix of mcps and charter buses.

Another reason field trips are expensive is because of insurance. That is the reason why no parent car-pool is allowed. No one wants the liability and especially not the school.

Shut the front door. MCPS takes the kids to Medieval Times and in 7th grade no less??? How stupid. Do they even educate anymore?? LOL

[Anonymous]

NP. DC's FCPS 5th grade field trip to Baltimore = $59 if you don't get lunch.
They're going to the science center for 3 hours and the national aquarium for about 1.5 hours. Then back home on the charter bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've wondered this, too. Most of my kids' field trips are $10-$20. Our school sometimes uses charter buses which I am sure adds to the cost.

I think they end up using charter busses because they can't get there and back in time for the busses to do the HS run. It used to be you had to be back by 1:00 to use MCPS busses. With ES not starting until 9:30, you wouldn't be organized to leave until 9:45 at the earliest, depending on how far you are from the zoo, you might have 2 hours to visit the zoo and have lunch before heading back.

Not sure if the time you need to be back shifted with the change in bell times or not, but it's always been an issue for schools farther away from the city. It's hard to go and get back in the time you can get an MCPS bus, so you have to pay for a charter bus which is much more expensive.

This has been our experience and the charter bus can be expensive.
Also the schools try to ensure that noone misses a trip for financial reasons so if you can I suggest you put in a little donation to help cover another child's cost.

F that. I am not paying for other kid’s field trips. Ridiculous.

Same here. Don’t spread your legs if you can’t afford kids. Not my job to pay for their field trip entertainment. Already pay for their schooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. DC's FCPS 5th grade field trip to Baltimore = $59 if you don't get lunch.
They're going to the science center for 3 hours and the national aquarium for about 1.5 hours. Then back home on the charter bus.

[Anonymous]

Why not take metro? Our dcps kid does most of his field trips on metro, including museums and the zoo. Trips are free.

[Anonymous]

My oldest is in 4th grade in MCPS. In previous years, we’ve averaged 3 field trips per year, although two have been “in-school field trips.” When we go somewhere we always use chartered buses. There has only been one field trip that cost $20 or more. Later this year the 4th grade will visit St. Mary’s City, which is a longer trip so I’m sure it will be more expensive. When we went to the National Zoo 4 years ago, I think it only cost something like $12. Our school sometimes indicates on the permission slip that you can sponsor a child who cannot afford the trip if you wish, but not always. I sponsor a child if they ask because our trips have been inexpensive and I want every child to go, whether they can afford it or not. I trust that no one at our school is pocketing field trip fees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take metro? Our dcps kid does most of his field trips on metro, including museums and the zoo. Trips are free.

Well ding-dong, most MCPS schools aren’t located within walking distance of a metro station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. DC's FCPS 5th grade field trip to Baltimore = $59 if you don't get lunch.
They're going to the science center for 3 hours and the national aquarium for about 1.5 hours. Then back home on the charter bus.

Right? And one of the moms I know pushed back on it and they acted like she was crazy to complain and told her just wait til next year's trip. (They go even further for some historic day trip and it's twice as much!)