$53 for a field trip?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Updating since I started this. The field trip includes the charter bus, lunch, a T-shirt and “admission to the museum” .

With all of those perks I think $53 is very reasonable. It was sticker shock when I received the invoice in my inbox!

This violates policy. But pay it anyway because you like getting ripped off.

Please link a citation.

I note with an easy web search a memo from a middle school this summer,

"There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip. Examples of possible fees include
band/chorus T-shirts, Music in the Parks Festival field trip fee, Outdoor Education field trip fee (Grade 6), and End-ofYear Activities fee (Grade 8). "

In general, I believe that MCPS allows schools to charge families for field trips, but they are expected to make these trips accessible to all students, that is to say that students should be excluded due to financial constraints and schools are encouraged to offer financial assistance or alternative funding sources for families in need.

I don't remember Outdoor Ed having a fee? It's a curriculum field trip that all 6th graders go on. The other items I could see having a fee.

We definitely had a fee last year for Outdoor Ed. I think it was $85.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher as well. I tried to plan a field trip last year and each charter bus was about 1200 to go to the Air and Space in VA. Each bus holds 50 people. I opted out because I also was at a title one MCP buses are only available between the hours of 10 and two. It’s very hard to plan a field trip using them.

From MoCo? You could leave at 10am, get to the Smithsonian between 1025asm and 1045am depending on where the school is, be at the museum till 1 or so, be back at school by 2pm.

53 dollars is ridiculous

[Anonymous]

In all seriousness how much is a charter bus for a day? Let’s assume 20 kids pay $50 each. That’s $1,000. 40 kids and that’s $2,000…. That seems to me like the bus companies are milking the school system.

[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.

No - they wouldn’t even take the trip.

I grew up in a poor area. Having means equates to a much better education and learning experience. I happily pay $ for my kids trips. They have it so much better than I did.

[Anonymous]

I was told school buses can't leave the state for field trips. Baltimore or Annapolis, fine. DC not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In all seriousness how much is a charter bus for a day? Let’s assume 20 kids pay $50 each. That’s $1,000. 40 kids and that’s $2,000…. That seems to me like the bus companies are milking the school system.

They are definitely milking it. I know with Mcps back in 2019 we were only allowed to use certain companies and at a certain mileage they charge more. So if you’re going from say Gaithersburg or poolesville to dc you can be on the bus for a decent amount of mileage and time. And no, you can’t realistically get back by 2 when the little ones are involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Updating since I started this. The field trip includes the charter bus, lunch, a T-shirt and “admission to the museum” .

With all of those perks I think $53 is very reasonable. It was sticker shock when I received the invoice in my inbox!

This violates policy. But pay it anyway because you like getting ripped off.

Please link a citation.

I note with an easy web search a memo from a middle school this summer,

"There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip. Examples of possible fees include
band/chorus T-shirts, Music in the Parks Festival field trip fee, Outdoor Education field trip fee (Grade 6), and End-ofYear Activities fee (Grade 8). "

In general, I believe that MCPS allows schools to charge families for field trips, but they are expected to make these trips accessible to all students, that is to say that students should be excluded due to financial constraints and schools are encouraged to offer financial assistance or alternative funding sources for families in need.

I don't remember Outdoor Ed having a fee? It's a curriculum field trip that all 6th graders go on. The other items I could see having a fee.

We definitely had a fee last year for Outdoor Ed. I think it was $85.

Not in rest of Maryland. Only MCPS rips off families.

[Anonymous]

This is common. A private bus is expensive. The kids love it and have great memories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was told school buses can't leave the state for field trips. Baltimore or Annapolis, fine. DC not.

My kid definitely took a school bus down to the mall to go to the Smithsonian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Updating since I started this. The field trip includes the charter bus, lunch, a T-shirt and “admission to the museum” .

With all of those perks I think $53 is very reasonable. It was sticker shock when I received the invoice in my inbox!

This violates policy. But pay it anyway because you like getting ripped off.

Please link a citation.

I note with an easy web search a memo from a middle school this summer,

"There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip. Examples of possible fees include
band/chorus T-shirts, Music in the Parks Festival field trip fee, Outdoor Education field trip fee (Grade 6), and End-ofYear Activities fee (Grade 8). "

In general, I believe that MCPS allows schools to charge families for field trips, but they are expected to make these trips accessible to all students, that is to say that students should be excluded due to financial constraints and schools are encouraged to offer financial assistance or alternative funding sources for families in need.

Then pay it. Maryland law is clear, but MCPS is in TrumpWorld.

If it’s so clear, why can’t you cite to the law?

[Anonymous]

During covid a lot of the bus companies went out of business. When things reopened there were not enough buses and drivers. Then inflation hit. So, not unusual to have $2k for a bus per day. You can fit 55 students and then 4 seats for adults.

MCPS staff are supposed to call at least three different bus companies and get the lowest rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher as well. I tried to plan a field trip last year and each charter bus was about 1200 to go to the Air and Space in VA. Each bus holds 50 people. I opted out because I also was at a title one MCP buses are only available between the hours of 10 and two. It’s very hard to plan a field trip using them.

From MoCo? You could leave at 10am, get to the Smithsonian between 1025asm and 1045am depending on where the school is, be at the museum till 1 or so, be back at school by 2pm.

53 dollars is ridiculous

m


No. Actually you can’t. But thanks for telling us how we do our jobs Karen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Updating since I started this. The field trip includes the charter bus, lunch, a T-shirt and “admission to the museum” .

With all of those perks I think $53 is very reasonable. It was sticker shock when I received the invoice in my inbox!

This violates policy. But pay it anyway because you like getting ripped off.

Please link a citation.

I note with an easy web search a memo from a middle school this summer,

"There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip. Examples of possible fees include
band/chorus T-shirts, Music in the Parks Festival field trip fee, Outdoor Education field trip fee (Grade 6), and End-ofYear Activities fee (Grade 8). "

In general, I believe that MCPS allows schools to charge families for field trips, but they are expected to make these trips accessible to all students, that is to say that students should be excluded due to financial constraints and schools are encouraged to offer financial assistance or alternative funding sources for families in need.

I don't remember Outdoor Ed having a fee? It's a curriculum field trip that all 6th graders go on. The other items I could see having a fee.

We definitely had a fee last year for Outdoor Ed. I think it was $85.

Not in rest of Maryland. Only MCPS rips off families.

If you can’t afford 80 for a 3 day trip, then ask for help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's the bus. Bus prices are astronomical this year. I'm actually surprised the trip is only $53.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's the bus. Bus prices are astronomical this year. I'm actually surprised the trip is only $53.

So they threw in the cost of a tee shirt to up the rip off?