On
October 9, 2002, the Massachusetts Legislature approved Chapter 346
of the Acts of 2002, AN ACT RELATIVE TO SAFETY OF SCHOOL SPONSORED
TRAVEL. The Act charged the Massachusetts Board of Education to adopt
a model policy concerning student travel sponsored by a school that
is planned between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. In addition,
the Act added to statute Section 37N of Chapter 71 which requires
each school committee to establish an initial policy concerning student
travel sponsored by a school that is planned between the hours of
midnight and 6:00 a.m. no later than January 7, 2005.
On December 16, 2003, after a period of public review, the Board of
Education approved a draft policy to be used by school committees
in establishing its own policy regarding student travel.
The attached sample policy, File JJH and JJH-R, was developed based
on the criteria approved by the Board of Education and included in
the Board’s model policy. Each school committee is encouraged
to review their existing polices on field trips to ensure compliance
with the requirements contained within the ACT RELATIVE TO SAFETY
OF SCHOOL SPONSORED TRAVEL.
The sample policy below should be reviewed and revised as necessary
to take into account local school district needs and preferences.
Each school committee must have their initial policy established before
January 7, 2005. |
All
student trips which include late night or overnight travel must have prior
approval of the School Committee. Initial approval by the School Committee
is required before engaging students in fundraising activities. The School
Committee will also consider the educational value of the trip in relation
to the cost prior to granting initial approval. Overnight trips should
offer significant educational benefits to students that clearly justify
the time and expense of the trip. Such trips should be appropriate for
the grade level.
Final approval will not be granted until all preparations for the trip
have been completed including, but not limited to, all logistical details
involving transportation, accommodation arrangements and fundraising efforts.
The School Committee requires that final approval be sought no less than
30 days prior to the scheduled trip dates.
Teachers and other school staff are prohibited from soliciting for privately
run trips through the school system and in the schools. The School Committee
will only review for approval school-sanctioned trips. The School Committee
will not review or approve trips that are privately organized and run
without school sanctioning.
SOURCE:
MASC
Approved:
March 10, 2004
Revised:
January 18, 1996
| Legal
Ref.: |
CHAPTER
346 OF THE ACTS OF 2002 (et al) approved on October 9, 2002
M.G.L. 69:1B; 71:37N |
| Cross
Ref.: |
IJOA,
Field Trips |
|
File:
JJH-R
|
|
STUDENT
TRAVEL REGULATIONS
|
1. Transportation
The use of vans or private automobiles for trips planned to include late
night or overnight student travel is prohibited. Late night or overnight
trips will use commercial motor coaches.
Trips planned to include late night or overnight student travel will include
a pre-trip check of companies, drivers, and vehicles. CORI checks will
be conducted in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71,
section 38R.
The Superintendent or designee will ensure that the selected carrier is
licensed for passenger transportation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA). The district will not contract with any carrier
that has a safety rating of "conditional" or "unsatisfactory".
FMCSA ratings are available at http://www.safersys.org/.
The contract with the carrier will prohibit the use of subcontractors
unless sufficient notice is given to the district that allows verification
of the subcontractor’s qualifications.
2. Trip
Scheduling
Overnight accommodations should be made in advance with student safety
and security in mind. Whenever possible, trip schedulers should avoid
planning student travel between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m., due
to the increased risk of vehicular accidents during this time period.
Whenever possible, overnight trips should be scheduled on weekends or
during school vacations to minimize lost classroom time. Non-academic
field trips are considered "optional school programs" and do
not count toward meeting structured learning time requirements. (Refer
to the Massachusetts Department of Education publication Student Learning
Time Regulations Guide.)
Trip itineraries must leave enough time for drivers to rest in conformity
with federal hour-of-service requirements and common sense.
Trip scheduling should take into account the likelihood of delays due
to weather, traffic, stragglers, and other unanticipated factors.
If substantially all members of a class are participating in a trip, the
school should provide appropriate substitute activities for any students
not participating.
3. Fundraising
The amount of time to be devoted to fundraising should be reasonable and
commensurate with students’ obligations for homework, after-school
activities, and jobs.
Group fundraising activities are preferred. Students should not be assigned
individual fundraising targets.
If students are charged individual fees for participation, every effort
should be made to provide scholarships where needed.
Additional Resources
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
http://www.fmcsa.gov
United Motorcoach Association – Student Motorcoach Travel Safety
Guide
(includes "Motorcoach Safety Checklist")
http://www.uma.org/consumerhelp/studentguide.asp
Department of Defense’s approved list of motor carriers
http://www.mtmc.army.mil/content/504/approvedlist.pdf
SOURCE: MASC
APPROVED: March 10, 2004
| Legal
Ref.: |
CHAPTER
346 OF THE ACTS OF 2002 (et al) approved on October 9, 2002
M.G.L. 69:1B; 71:37N; 71:38R 603 CMR 27.00 |
| Cross
Ref.: |
IJOA,
Field Trips |
|