My kids go to a school with hardly any low income kids, but every permission slip for a field trip clearly states that you should let the school counselor know if you need financial assistance for the fee. I thought that would be standard at all schools? I assumed that the PTA or some other fund covered any kid who needs assistance. The farms kids at our school simply haven't missed trips...their parents reach out to the counselor (per the instructions) and request assistance. If this isn't standard at your school, suggest it. But sponsoring an individual kid directly doesn't sound right. There should be a system in place for the school to handle it. Ask your principal.

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in K in an economically diverse school (that we love). They will have their first field trip at the end of the month and the cost is $8 per child. I asked the teacher if we could pay extra so that another child could attend if the cost was prohibitive for their family. She said of course but she didn't know (but would find out) how this would be communicated to a child in need. Any thoughts on how this might happen? It's in MCPS. Also, I don't think other parents necessarily know that donating in this way is an option. Any thoughts on how to best communicate this? Thanks very much!

They are already covered. Field trips and extracurriculars are paid for by your sister school and taxpayers. FARM students are already taken care of. You can certainly donate to whomever and wherever you like, go through your PTA or Parent Board.

OP-this is very nice of you but just some words of advice so that your generosity gets to the proper recipients.
In my experience with arranging trips for my kids (my oldest is in HS so I have years of doing this), leave it to the teacher's discretion to reach out to families who really can't afford the cost.
If you put out a statement like the one in aprevious post, you will have people take advantage of your generosity. Kind of the mentality of "oh, I don't have to pay, ok, I won't" not "I can't". And interestingly, families who really can't, rarely ask, likely out of embarassment. They will scrape it together at the last minute or say the kid is sick on the day of the trip or make another excuse.
This is best dealt with by the teacher-quietly-he/she should know who needs the assistance and can let them know that the priority is to have the kid participate and not to worry about the money.

I have always sent in extra money for field trips. Depending on the cost of the trip, I either sent in a few more dollars, or just paid for an extra kid. I have never minded it. BUT, this year, there is a chance that the big 4th grade trip our school traditionally takes will have to be cancelled because too many families can't afford the $25. Our FARMS level is below 50%, bot clearly they think there are enough kids who couldn't afford it that the school may cancel the trip. DS is very disappointed, because our older kids enjoyed the trip, and frankly I am getting frustrated with the situation myself.

Arlington County pays for all elementary school field trips

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS should cover the cost of all kids for field trips. This is public school. Why should kids at school A get a field trip to the zoo for $13 and kids at school B either don't get a trip there, or have to pay $15 bucks. And what happens to the kid who can't pay? Does his mother REALLY have to send in a form that says "I can't afford it?" or, more likely, does she just keep Suzie home that day?
Do the kids that go to the Strathmore concerts have to pay?

I disagree. Field trips are extra. They are not something you are entitled to through public education. No student doesn't get to participate in a field trip because their parents did not pay - even if there is no PTA fund or extra donation to cover the cost. The school makes up for it out of their general fund. All that is required of families is to send in a signed permission slip.

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS should cover the cost of all kids for field trips. This is public school. Why should kids at school A get a field trip to the zoo for $13 and kids at school B either don't get a trip there, or have to pay $15 bucks. And what happens to the kid who can't pay? Does his mother REALLY have to send in a form that says "I can't afford it?" or, more likely, does she just keep Suzie home that day?
Do the kids that go to the Strathmore concerts have to pay?

Sorry. I can't agree. If you need money, go out and work. If you don't have it, then can't spend it. What's wrong with insisting some presonal responsibility and accountability in life?

Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS should cover the cost of all kids for field trips. This is public school. Why should kids at school A get a field trip to the zoo for $13 and kids at school B either don't get a trip there, or have to pay $15 bucks. And what happens to the kid who can't pay? Does his mother REALLY have to send in a form that says "I can't afford it?" or, more likely, does she just keep Suzie home that day?
Do the kids that go to the Strathmore concerts have to pay?

Oh lord. Stop with everything being equal. Field trips cost money. MCPS does not have it in it's budget to pay for them. You want to go, you pay. You don't/can't pay, you don't go.

I think MCPS should cover the cost of all kids for field trips. This is public school. Why should kids at school A get a field trip to the zoo for $13 and kids at school B either don't get a trip there, or have to pay $15 bucks. And what happens to the kid who can't pay? Does his mother REALLY have to send in a form that says "I can't afford it?" or, more likely, does she just keep Suzie home that day?
Do the kids that go to the Strathmore concerts have to pay?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do this.

Really, it just leads to more increased dependance amongst the parents. It's $8 and the family can come up with the money. The family has to make a choice - buy one less convenience item that week vs. send their kid on the field trip.

It's not sweet, or cute, or helpful. It's the opposite. It creates a constant stream of dependance.

Go take a nap, Ebenezer.

Really I think the PP is on to something. Go to school during snack time or go on the fieldtrip and see how many of your kid's classmates bring in snacks-- hot cheetos, juice boxes, cookies, gatorade. I stopped donating to the field trip when I volunteered to go with the class. I was amazed that kids who didn't pay had several dollars worth of junky snacks, while I made my kid drink from a recycled water bottle and eat a sandwich bag of Kix cereal. I also was pissed off that a mother came who didn't pay, didn't pay for her kid, and brought a younger sibling who she didn't pay for and she had a nicer smart than I do (she had a smart phone with internet while i still have a flip phone).

Carol? Is that you?

http://www.theonion.com/articles/woman-a-leading-authority-on-what-shouldnt-be-in-p,35922/

Anonymous wrote:Don't do this.

Really, it just leads to more increased dependance amongst the parents. It's $8 and the family can come up with the money. The family has to make a choice - buy one less convenience item that week vs. send their kid on the field trip.

It's not sweet, or cute, or helpful. It's the opposite. It creates a constant stream of dependance.

Is that you, Mitt?

The field trip forms for our child's trips almost always include a line-item for donating extra money to fund children whose families cannot pay. We always pay more for that purpose.

Lots of people in this society abuse the system, we all know this. Many of the poor kids aren't even legal citizens yet our taxes go to them. You can't teach these parents, they are cheaters who don't care and complain that they don't have enough benefits. That said, I still want to teach my kid to help others and we donate enough to pay for one extra kid. Yes, it hurts to see parents who claim poor have top of the line electronics, sneakers, clothes etc... But there are some kids who truly need it and I hope somehow we help a few.

Don't pet the troll.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't do this.

Really, it just leads to more increased dependance amongst the parents. It's $8 and the family can come up with the money. The family has to make a choice - buy one less convenience item that week vs. send their kid on the field trip.

It's not sweet, or cute, or helpful. It's the opposite. It creates a constant stream of dependance.

You are an idiot.

I grew up poor (especially right after my parents separated/divorced) and thank god people at my school were looking out for kids like me when it came to field trips, sports uniforms, etc. And it in no way created a dependence issue for me or for my mom, who eventually got back on her feet. Now let's say the poor kid's mom decides to go out and buy cigarettes with the money she could have given her kid for the field trip...so the kid should be punished?

People like you make my skin crawl.

PP - that's great thing to say. I doubt, however, you give much.