$53 for field trip

[momof3girls6712]

We have to pay for the bus driver and gas cost on top of any field trip costs. Currently, My oldest DD is going to Epcot on May 2nd which costs me 12 bucks (we have season passes) plus whatever we spend in the park, She is going to Wild Adventures May 9th which the asked for 25 dollars spending money so each kid has the same (school paid the trip cost since it is a honor roll award), the middle child is going to Seaword May 16th and that trip was 75.00, and the youngest is going to the Jacksonville Zoo May 16th which was 29 bucks plus whatever we spend during the day. Inaddition we will have the gas costs as parents can not ride the bus and on the last trip I will have to go with one child and my DH the other.

But all of these combined were cheaper than DD's 5th grade safety potrol trip to Washington DC so I am atleast happy I have a few more years till another biggie trip.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Just two weekends ago my dd age 12 was supposed to go overnight to COSI for her field trip. (We live in Columbus.) It was $36 for each child and each chaperone. We were not going to let our dd go alone overnight so that cost us $72. Well, wouldn't you know it, the day of her field trip, my dd got strep throat. So, I called the school asking for a refund and they said COSI couldn't refund the money but could give us $72 worth of COSI dollars. Ugh!! Just what we needed!

Trade them! Go to the trading thread on the budget board, and trade for pins or something, there. I can't be the only OH girl around who does Cosi once or twice a year!

LOL, thought I was on the Family Board...

 

[Marla Hellwig]

My daughter's Bio-Tech class at the high school just had their 10th field trip this year - or was it 11th - the last one didn't cost me anything - they were testing the water quality in parks in our area - the previous one was 15.00 - 20.00 (I think) and that was the traveling Bodies exhibit

 

[barkley]

One accident and that will change. Can you imagine the liability those drivers are taking on? We used to do the "carpool" trips until one year there was an accident. No one was seriously injured thankfully- but that was the end of the carpool trips. (oh that and the mom that went nuts and slapped someone elses child! )

well, it might make a difference in that the school has some kind of deal with their insurer for these car pool field trips. at registration (when parents indicate which of the volunteer opportunities if any they are willing to participate in) there was a form for those willing to be car pool drivers that required potential drivers to provide their driver's lic and auto insurance info. the form went on to say that by signing it the driver aknowledged they had certain types of insurance and that they were giving the school's insurer permission to randomly review their dmv records and insurance status. since the trips are planned and drivers slotted with advance notice i would'nt be surprised if the school's insurace company does a check on the proposed drivers. in any case the insurance booklet we get from the school each year (that the insurance company puts out) sez that they provide coverage for driver's (who meet their criteria) and students when they are in private vehicals on school sanctioned trips.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Our 5th grader had a field trip a few weeks ago...beach time, aquarium visit, marsh studies, boat ride and dinner on the way home. We sent in a lunch. $56. Both she and my husband went, so that was a pretty pricy one!

My 11th grader went to DC a weeks ago, to the tune of $550.

Whew...do you KNOW how rich I will be when they graduate college??

 

[TreslovesWDW]

I just paid for my daughters field trip to the Washington Zoo. It was $10 and for me to go with $20. I went with my other daughter 2 years ago but drove myself so I could take my son and sister along. The Zoo is free to get in and the parking was $16, my dughter got a free lunch ticket and I think I paid $7 for her to go. This year no free lunch. I can't understand why it is $ 20 for me , I get the $10 to go but I guess gas and parking costs more for adults on the same bus
We also got a letter from school last week that read,
Field trips are part of school and all children that do not go will be marked absent for the day because there will be no teacher at school to watch kids who do not go.
I find that very unfair to anyone who can not afford to pay for these trips.

 

[mlraabe]

Wow! I did not read this entire thread but I can't believe the $ for field trips! Between our 4 kids, there will be 7 field trips in the next couple of weeks. I teach in the same district(home today with sick kiddos). I can't even imagine sending home that kind of note. My own kids are going the carnegie science center, pittsburgh zoo, various local attractions and my class is going to the zoo. The pittsburgh events are 3 hours away. The school provides charter buses for a child and parent and admission for child. My grade has 54 kids and 60 adults going. Parents have had to pay less than $10/trip (and some of the upcoming trips $0) plus any extras we want.
That being said we do have a great PTO that provides for most our trips and a wonderful PreK Grant for the preschool trips. We do not come from a wealthy district at all. In fact it is probably the exact opposite. We would not have anybody on the bus if we asked parents to pay that much. It would be different, however, if it was a school organization (ski club, band) rather than a class trip.

 

[Belle0101]

Interesting thread. I guess on the one hand I should be happy with the low cost of our field trips. On the other hand, it's the principle.

At the beginning of the year we received a letter that the 5 trips would be a combined cost of $15. You could pay for all of them in advance, some in advance, or as they came up at $3 each. I opted to pay as they came up because DS tended to miss school days. He catches every bug that goes around.

Fast forward to yesterday and the letter they sent home, 2nd reminder, reminding me that I need to pay for a past field trip ... even though my son didn't go on it. And I know they know he didn't go on it because they wrote in that he was absent for it.

I guess I need to call and have explained to me why I need to pay for something my son didn't participate in because I'm just not understanding.

 

[rgf207]

But even assuming gas prices doubles in the two intervening years, why wouldn't the cost be more along the lines of $25 - 35, given that the previous trip was $13.50?

Just because gas prices increase does not mean that the bus company should only increase the prices to exactly reflect the price of gas. There are other factors. Price of insurance, cost of drivers, cost of maintenance to the bus. Length of the trip (miles & hours).

I'm sure the school is not pocketing the extra money and all going out for martinis afterwards.

I've paid that amount for field trips before when I was in high school which was 10 years ago.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

yeah, the field trips can be pricey at times, but what are you going to do??NOT Send your kid??? For me, that's not an option. Kids are expensive so you have to budget for things like field trips. Yeah, they're pricey, but oh well. For my oldest son's most recent field trip (it was only $9), they had a box you could check if you needed financial assistance for it. I just shook my head. Is $9 really that much???????? I could see if it was like $100.

 

[meandtheguys2]

yeah, the field trips can be pricey at times, but what are you going to do??NOT Send your kid??? For me, that's not an option. Kids are expensive so you have to budget for things like field trips. Yeah, they're pricey, but oh well. For my oldest son's most recent field trip (it was only $9), they had a box you could check if you needed financial assistance for it. I just shook my head. Is $9 really that much???????? I could see if it was like $100.

Considering some working families can't afford medications, heat, food and gas, $10 can be a lot.

 

[dis75ney]

My DS doesn't have too many field trips at school - his last one cost $11, and that was for a showing of Suessical at a professional theater, with backstage tour included.

What's getting me is the $150 I have to pay day camp for the weekly field trips DS will be taking this summer. I suppose for one trip every week for 12 weeks it's not so bad, but I hate making that payment...

 

[rhonhod]

My Ds14 is going on his 8th grade trip to Chicago for 2 days and it cost, $486.00, yeah that's CRAZY!! But the school did break it down into 6 monthly payments. DD15 went on the same trip last year and she had a blast. So I guess it's worth it!?!?!?!

 

[Magic Mom]

$10 would be "really that much" for two of the families in my Scout troop. Lucky for those girls that financial aid programs are available in Scouts and in school.

yeah, the field trips can be pricey at times, but what are you going to do??NOT Send your kid??? For me, that's not an option. Kids are expensive so you have to budget for things like field trips. Yeah, they're pricey, but oh well. For my oldest son's most recent field trip (it was only $9), they had a box you could check if you needed financial assistance for it. I just shook my head. Is $9 really that much???????? I could see if it was like $100.

 

[SUZCRUISE]

My kids (twins) are both supposed to go to Medieval times for $50 each for a sixth grade trip. My daughter & I just went a couple of months ago with girl scouts for $15.00. The school says it's "educational"... I think it's mildly entertaining... but I'm not willing to shell out $100.00 for my daughter to see it a second time. My kids aren't going.. the school isn't happy but I don't care. Either there are parents who don't care how they waste their money, or they have enough it doesn't matter. I personally can't see it, but people have to make a stand and not just grumble and pay it anyway. Maybe if more parents made a stand, they wouldn't take trips that cost so much. I mean here I am teaching my children to save and use money wisely and I feel they are teaching the opposite...

 

[summerrluvv]

yeah, the field trips can be pricey at times, but what are you going to do??NOT Send your kid??? For me, that's not an option. Kids are expensive so you have to budget for things like field trips. Yeah, they're pricey, but oh well. For my oldest son's most recent field trip (it was only $9), they had a box you could check if you needed financial assistance for it. I just shook my head. Is $9 really that much???????? I could see if it was like $100.

You're joking right? What an ignorant thing to say.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

Huh.

I didn't get to go on every field trip I wanted to go on- one in particular, MUN in The Hague. It didn't scar me for life. I think the trip was about $120, total, after fundraising. It was a week long trip (MUN is Model United Nations) and actually was a part of a class- instead, I chose to go to London, England, for another class (probably the same price- same amount of time spent there).

I did get to go to (I lived in Germany, mind you)- London, Bruxelles, Paris, and everywhere in between. A few of those trips were week-long trips as well. I'm thinking at tops, they were $150.

Which makes me blink a few times when I see almost $55 attached to a one day field trip! Egads!

I think when the price of field trips are more then what the typical student's family can afford at the drop of a hat that there needs to be some fundraising for THAT particular trip. We did barbecues, we bowled for donations (LOL- wow, I haven't remembered that in a long, long time!), we did everything we could to ensure everyone could go on our trips.

That's just my humble opinion. AND if there just is no way to lower the cost of the trip and if, in my book, it isn't educational (I'm assuming Medieval Times is like the show on the Vegas Strip at the Excalibur?)- I'm NOT going to be guilt-tripped into paying for my child to go.

 

[meresandwillsmom]

Yes. I have two going to a theme park an hour away for a music trip. The cost was $75 each last year, but with fund raising, only $65 each this year. If you have a season ticket to the park you pay $15 less. So $50 each for bus and gas, if the ticket is $15. And no food provided, not even a healthy snack.

My dd also has a music trip (band and choir festival) to a theme park coming up. By any chance is it the 1st weekend in May at Six Flags St. Louis? We live just outside Memphis and the cost for us is $350 each. They did a little fundraising and my dd's part is less. I'm going as a chaperone. This covers all meals, hotel, zoo, museum and park entrance.

 

[JeremyGNJ]

You're joking right? What an ignorant thing to say.

I don't think it's ignorant really. When you have kids there's expenses that come along with it....and that should be expected and planned for.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I don't think it's ignorant really. When you have kids there's expenses that come along with it....and that should be expected and planned for.

Many people are "planning" to buy bread, heat and meds. Frankly, field trips are not priorities for these families.