Buses are outrageously expensive. There is no principal's slush fund. Some schools even have to resort to asking teachers to use personal leave to keep the costs low (instead of having to use students $$ to pay for substitutes). If you appreciate field trips, thank the teachers who make them happen.

You are probably subsidizing the kids who can’t afford it or covering the cost of insurance.

Schools in Montgomery County use MCPS buses if transportation is needed between about 9:30 and 1:30. If transportation is needed before or after this window, private buses are needed. The county has a list of approved charter bus companies that may be used for field trips. Schools are only allowed to use the services of the companies on the list. Additionally, schools are required to obtain three estimates before submitting a request to use a specific company. This year’s list has fewer companies compared to last year’s list. The prices went up significantly this school year across the board. I needed transportation for nine hours, and received quotes as high as $3,300, not including “the customary gratuity.” The gratuity thing seems to be new this year with a few of the charter companies. Add in the admittance fee to your destination, and the overall cost per student becomes quite high.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Other parents are more generous than you.

OP. Thanks for the replies. Also, our PTA has a scholarship type of program where they give money to the counselor who gives it to any needy students. All of our permission slips have a note that if you can't afford the field trip, to contact the teacher (or counselor?). I am thankful these monies exist for the kids and families who can't afford it.

NP. Our schools (not MC) always had PTA funds that were there to help out kids who couldn't afford field trips or other activities. To anyone who is complaining about the cost of field trip when you personally can afford it -- please consider donating some money for field trip funds via the PTA or counselor or however it's done in your school. It really does help.

If you feel that it's "ridiculous" to "pay for other kids' field trips," I assume you have never wanted for anything in your entire life. How lucky you are to be so well off that you can afford your petty meanness.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Other parents are more generous than you.

OP. Thanks for the replies. Also, our PTA has a scholarship type of program where they give money to the counselor who gives it to any needy students. All of our permission slips have a note that if you can't afford the field trip, to contact the teacher (or counselor?). I am thankful these monies exist for the kids and families who can't afford it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the days when MCPS school busses were used? Surely it would be cheaper to pay a driver/sub and use a school bus rather than to charter a fancy bus? Are there spare busses we can use?

Where can you go on a field trip where you pick the kids up after 9:25 pm (school start time for Tier II elementary schools) and drop them off well before 2:30 (school end time for high schools)?

That's why I asked about the spare busses.

There are no spare busses.

I couldn't figure out how the Global Ecology program did so many field trips, at all hours, with no additional cost. Then I learned, they have their own bus!

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.

Other parents are more generous than you.

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.

Fortunately, other parents are more generous than you.

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.

Wow, my kids have gone on two field trips I can remember from their ES days. One was to Strathmore and the other was to Mt. Vernon. They never went to the zoo and honestly I don't think they went on any in middle school. I don't count outdoor ed as a field trip. In high school the only field trip was to the college fair at the fairgrounds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the days when MCPS school busses were used? Surely it would be cheaper to pay a driver/sub and use a school bus rather than to charter a fancy bus? Are there spare busses we can use?

Where can you go on a field trip where you pick the kids up after 9:25 pm (school start time for Tier II elementary schools) and drop them off well before 2:30 (school end time for high schools)?

That's why I asked about the spare busses.

There are no spare busses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the days when MCPS school busses were used? Surely it would be cheaper to pay a driver/sub and use a school bus rather than to charter a fancy bus? Are there spare busses we can use?

Where can you go on a field trip where you pick the kids up after 9:25 pm (school start time for Tier II elementary schools) and drop them off well before 2:30 (school end time for high schools)?

That's why I asked about the spare busses.

I can think of no bigger waste of time, energy and effort than taking a bus load of First graders to the free zoo. They don't learn anything and given that it is free pretty much everyone can afford to take their kids there on their own. Field trips until at least middle school are the biggest waste and frankly most of the ones in middle school are a waste too.

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the days when MCPS school busses were used? Surely it would be cheaper to pay a driver/sub and use a school bus rather than to charter a fancy bus? Are there spare busses we can use?

Where can you go on a field trip where you pick the kids up after 9:25 pm (school start time for Tier II elementary schools) and drop them off well before 2:30 (school end time for high schools)?

What happened to the days when MCPS school busses were used? Surely it would be cheaper to pay a driver/sub and use a school bus rather than to charter a fancy bus? Are there spare busses we can use?