A field trip is defined as an activity sanctioned by the school system which requires students to be in a location other than the assigned school campus. Field trips are extraordinary learning experiences and categorized as K-12 Instructional, Co-curricular, or Extra-curricular and as Within Shelby County or Outside Shelby County. All field trips must be appropriately curriculum-based. Field trips are not used as rewards, but as extensions to instruction. All efforts must be made to provide instructional experiences in the school environment to reduce time lost in traveling. Principals are required to submit a Field Trip Planning Form outlining all proposed field trips for the school year.
K-12 Instructional Field Trips Within Shelby County shall be related to a specific grade level area of the curriculum and shall be limited to one field trip per grade level or special population per semester. The Field Trip Request should be completed by the school, approved by the principal, and forwarded to the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services for documentation and filing. When it is necessary for high school students to drive themselves in their personal cars, a release form must be maintained and on file in the principal's office.
K-12 Instructional Field Trips Outside Shelby County must have prior approval from both the principal and the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services before any deposits, reservations, fundraisers, communications, commitments, etc., are made. The Field Trip Request must be in writing using the Field Trip Request form. The section for bus information should be left blank. Proposed travel arrangements, including an official letter of participation with an itinerary and student/adult ratios, should be attached to this form.
Students who require the services of a nurse will be accommodated; however, the principal must ensure that other medical needs of the school are covered while the nurse accompanies the student(s) with special medical needs.
Co-Curricular Competitions (i.e., approved and organized student activities which are an extension of a course with academic credit) -
If a student(s) is/are entering a regional or state competition which is open to all schools in Tennessee (i.e., All-West/All-State Band, All-West/All-State Chorus, DECA), the Field Trip Request should be completed and approved by the principal and forwarded to the Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services. If transportation outside Shelby County is necessary, please attach the proposed travel arrangements including an itinerary and student/adult ratios. Students who qualify for these competitions will be granted excused absences if the competition is scheduled during the school day. The Field Trip Request, Official Letter of Participation with an Itinerary, and the Approved Absence Form must be sent in at the same time.
If a student(s) is/are entering an invitational competition, every effort shall be made to avoid conflicts with the school calendar. Requests for invitational competitions must be approved by both the principal and the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction prior to reservations, commitments, deposits, fundraisers, etc., being made. If necessary and approved by the principal, two (2) days of class may be used for this purpose. Invitational competitions which require absence from school will be limited to one (1) per school year per special population. The number of invitational competitions which do not require absence from school should be monitored by the principal. The Field Trip Request, Official Letter of Participation with an Itinerary, and the Approved Absence Form must be sent in at the same time.
Extra-Curricular Competitions (i.e., approved and organized student activities which are not related to a course for academic credit or not included in TSSAA sanctioned sports) -
If a student(s) is/are entering an invitational competition, every effort shall be made to avoid conflicts with the academic school calendar. Requests for invitational competitions must be approved by both the principal and the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction prior to reservations, commitments, deposits, fundraisers, etc., being made. Invitational competitions must be scheduled during non-school time. If necessary, no more than two (2) class days of round-trip travel to and from the event may be approved by the principal. Invitational competitions which require absence from school will be limited to one (1) per school year per special population. The number of invitational competitions which do not require absence from school should be monitored by the principal. The Field Trip Request, Official Letter of Participation with an Itinerary, and the Approved Absence Form must be sent in at the same time.
Athletic (Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association or Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association) trips will continue to be scheduled through the office of the Athletic Director/Director of Communications.
Exceptions
Rare exceptions to the written procedures may be approved by the Superintendent for invitational events that are unique in scope or content.