Field Trip Cost $45!!

[Anonymous]

Taking charter buses to field trips with movies and bathrooms on board is ridiculous. What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

I want the bus to have a bathroom and tv I would pay the extra 35 for it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking charter buses to field trips with movies and bathrooms on board is ridiculous. What am I missing?

You're missing the part where it's cheaper to get a charter bus than a school bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking charter buses to field trips with movies and bathrooms on board is ridiculous. What am I missing?

In MCPS, you can only use the school buses between the hours of 9:30 - 1:30 (those have been the hours for years, not sure if it has changed at all with the change in bell times). The school buses are only available after they have completed their morning transportation routes, and they must be finished transporting students to/from field trips by 1:30 so they can begin their afternoon routes. There are no exceptions to this rule. As you can see, this is a four hour window that the buses are available. Once you factor in the time needed to/from the destination, you are left with very little time for the actual field trip. They are used for local quick trips...think Brookside Gardens,etc. Any trip that is farther away really requires paying for private buses. Believe me, we call around and try to get the best quote (keep in mind we are only allowed to use companies on the MCPS approved bus list). However, private transportation is much more expensive than most people realize. Schools don't make a profit on field trips. Quite frequently, we take a loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking charter buses to field trips with movies and bathrooms on board is ridiculous. What am I missing?

School buses are only available between the last morning run and the first afternoon run. Not enough time for a field trip to Baltimore. ALso, forx longer trips, buses are required to have a bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Why dont they see if 8-10 parents are willing to drive? Or is that a no no these days?

[Anonymous]

My kid went on a field trip to the Aquarium in Baltimore and we did a lot of fundraising to pay for the bus before the trip. The reason the school can't pay for the bus is because the busses need to be back in time to pick up the early relase high school students. Busses can only be used a certain amount of times and within certain hours. If it is outside of a certain distance, it's not possible. That's why the cost is higher. We had a bake sale, dine out night with proceeds from a restaurant, and a couple other things. The admission was FREE for our group, and each kid still had to pay $10 or so, but the fundraising had to pay the $1-2k for each bus. The families in that area didn't have a lot of money and the teachers wanted the kids to have the oppurtunity, so parent volunteers helped with the fundraising.

[Anonymous]

OP we are in FCPS too, not an especially rich area, but pretty upper middle class. only 12% free meals. This same thing started for use a few years ago. 3rd grader needed $35, the next year it was $45, same the following year, and I'm sure it'll be the same this year.

I was shocked at first, but if they are taking a motor coach, that costs a lot. If they can use the school buses, then it is usually cheaper. Admission alone to Md. Sci. Center is like $15 for kids. So, the cost is not surprising.

FWIW, it's a great place to go!

I couldn't believe 3rd graders were taking a freakin' motor coach with movies and all -- but I'm also not going to complain since I know my kids will probably enjoy a field trip that involves a motor coach.

I'm pretty sure last year it was $50 to go to Luray. So, you just have to go with the flow and appreciate that they are taking your kid somewhere they will likely enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Are there no other options other than motor coaches? Aren't there any more private yellow school bus companies?

[Anonymous]

I was the only kid in my grade that couldn't go on a week long adventure camp type thing when I was 10. I had to spend the week in the grade below. I will never do that to my kid which is what I tell myself on the days I go to work. There was no FA when I was a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there no other options other than motor coaches? Aren't there any more private yellow school bus companies?

There certainly are. I live in DC and my kid goes to a charter. The school does not own any buses. They contract - but they are regular yellow school buses. I think Starfleet Transportation is one brand I've seen. I've only had to pay under $10 for field trips, can't remember exactly.

[Anonymous]

http://starfleetdc.com/services.html

"Bus trips start at $250 for four hours. Prices may vary depending on mileage. Please call for moving and delivery rate."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the need for charter buses with bathrooms to go to MD Science Center. My 5th grader is going to Harper's Ferry next week, and they are taking the big yellow school buses. No bathrooms. Teachers make everyone go right before and right after. Maybe they stop enroute, I don't know.

Because it is cheaper to get charter buses than school district buses for out-of-county field trips, and because the school district buses have to be available for the regular routes. Or at least that's how it works in MCPS.

If it's cheaper, why is OP's field trip so expensive? Seems pretty unlikely. There are some back up buses, they don't use every single solitary bus every day. Or is MCPS really run on such a shoestring? Hard to believe.

This is an FCPS trip, so it is unlikely that MCPS budget is the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there no other options other than motor coaches? Aren't there any more private yellow school bus companies?

Yes, there are, but they are not necessarily cheaper than the charter buses, depending on when you need them and where you want to go.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why it costs $45


If you have low PTA funds, high amount of poorer children the ones that can pay must pay more.

Shouldn't the taxpayers be subsidizing the FARMS kids for educational trips and not the parents of students who happen to be in the classroom? That just sounds wrong . . . that because you bore children you have to pay extra to subsidize other children while the rest of the taxpayers get off scott free. I'm assuming this field trip is important to the curriculum and should be funded by taxpayers just like the school, teacher, books, etc. are.