It’s all well and good to share the wonders of area attractions with school children, but who pays?
For most districts, financial support for field trips comes from a combination of sources. School districts may provide funds for one bus trip per teacher each school year (when budgets are tight, officials say, those funds are often limited). Some districts arrange field trips on a self-supporting basis only-parents are asked to pay a fee for each excursion. Or individual schools receive money from their parent-teacher groups.
In addition, fundraising efforts often help cut costs. Districts also set aside assistance for children who otherwise could not afford the field trip fees.
Sue Schaller, president of the Parent Faculty Association at Lockport’s Ludwig and Walsh elementary schools, said: “If the faculty needs money and it can’t come out of the education fund in the district, then they come to the PFA. If the teacher can give cause on the need and we agree it’s something the kids can benefit from, then it’s approved.”
Thanks to the PFA, Ludwig School 8th graders attended a performance of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” this month in Chicago. While students paid for their tickets, the PFA came up with money to cover an unexpected service charge.
Schaller, with five children of her own in the district, said she appreciates the experiences field trips offer. “Everything I have ever gone to I think has been really beneficial,” Schaller said. “If they’re curriculum-based, I think they’re very worthwhile. And it makes learning fun.”
