Big $ field trips (big volunteer event):
2nd Grade: Mount Vernon and Zoo (regular school buses and not too expensive)
3rd grade: Luray Caverns (GRECO day- the study Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, China and can’t remember what the O stand for)
4th grade: Jamestown/Williamsburg (Colonial Day)
5th grade: Mount Vernon (Medieval Day) perhaps they have switched to Medieval Times
6th grade: Gettysburg or Pamplin Park depending on if they can get into Pamplin Park.
8th grade: Capitol Hill

The reason 3rd -6th grade field trips were expensive because they needed the buses with bathrooms. If a field trip is more than x hours long, it is required. They use them in 8th grade so that they can get going earlier than the regular school buses are available.

I love that we have so many US historical sites within striking distance.

PTA pays for those who have trouble affording them, it is automatic if the child has free or reduced lunches, otherwise you have to ask.

$125 for an overnight to camp highroads

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn’t go to Jamestown, Williamsburg or Medieval Times. There’s no Colonial Day.

Not a complaint, just an observation.

Are you in a different county?

Fairfax County

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn’t go to Jamestown, Williamsburg or Medieval Times. There’s no Colonial Day.

Not a complaint, just an observation.

Are you in a different county?

I'm surprised how many schools are going on "big" trips.

Anonymous wrote:It pissed me off having having to pay $60 for kids and $60 for chaperone on a school bus with very loud kids and a non responsive teacher to a museum.

I've chaperoned several field trips and very surprised that the teachers didn't anything to help control the children's behavior.

The 6th graders at our school go to Pamplin Park outside of Richmond. I think it was around $50 - the same we paid for Jamestown.

$149 for a middle school field trip.

We’ve had several that were nearly $100 and we paid double because dh or I always chaperone. The trips are expensive, but the kids have so much fun, so it’s worth it. They work hard at school all year, they should have at least something fun to look forward to.

Jamestown & Williamsburg was worth it.

Jamestown was something like $80. Had no idea Medieval times was so expensive. If you chaperone is the cost double? Too much!

Our school went to Williamsburg/Jamestown in 3rd grade for about $70, Medieval Times in 5th for about $70, and Baltimore in 6th grade for about $85

I work in an elementary school in a very affluent school district. No field trip is more than about $5 except Jamestown and Williamsburg. They cost more but no child is left out, if they can't afford it the school or the PTA or another parent pays for it, I'm not sure which.

Our school doesn’t go to Jamestown, Williamsburg or Medieval Times. There’s no Colonial Day.

Not a complaint, just an observation.

Anonymous wrote:$70 was the most we paid. The PTA covers the kids who can't afford it. I thought $55 was extreme for a 3rd grade event. I got used to it and it continued through the years.

$70 is for this year's spring 6th grade trip.

IMO, anything more than $45 is just too much for a field trip. We can afford it, but I just don't think public schools need to be doing field trips on chartered buses and the like. I feel like it is overboard.

For a public school it is overboard.