By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab School District Board of Education has been
discussing making revisions to the student out of state and
overnight travel policies and procedures.
"You have voiced concerns about the increased number
of requests for students to travel overnight and out of
state," said Kirk Wright, superintendent. "The policy
revision is an attempt to address some of those
concerns."
In December, the board passed the policy for a first
reading and recommended the policy be returned to the board
for further action after educators and parent groups had an
opportunity to review the proposed changes.
The item was brought up for a second reading at board
meeting on Wednesday. "I think you can approve the policy
for the second reading," said Wright.
"I haven't heard a thing from anyone about the travel
policy," said Teresa Menlove, board vice-chair. Usually, she
said, when people had strong opinions about any step the
board proposed, she had several people contact her and
explain their viewpoint.
"I have summarized it for all the principals," said
Wright.
One of the requirements for approval is that all
requests must be submitted to the superintendent by Oct. 1
of each year for all regularly scheduled activities.
Approval of the principal, superintendent, and the
board must be obtained before students can be transported
beyond the boundaries of the state. The principal can
approve overnight trips for activities approved by the board
and sponsored by the Utah High School Activities
Association.
"Permission to attend unanticipated invitational
events, which require extended travel or overnight
accommodations must be requested at least eight weeks in
advance of the event and at least seven days prior to the
next board meeting," said Wright.
"Board approval for any out of state excursion is
required in advance of fund-raising programs to support such
trips," he said.
"The organization this may apply to most, in the
future, is the drill team, if they were to be offered a
position at an event such as the one they participated in
and that we approved this year," said Julie Smalley, board
member.
However, the group would now know that they must come
to the board for approval before beginning to raise
funds.
One other addition to the current policy is that the
board states, within the policy, that it does not support
post season contests for team competitions and will not
approve out of state competitions after the regular season
has concluded.
"Overnight activities, not sponsored by the Utah High
School Activities Association or out of state trips, will be
approved by the board of education," said Wright. "The board
will not act on requests for student overnight or extended
travel if the school principal and superintendent have not
signed the request forms."
The board will hear appeals to denied overnight or
extended travel requests only if one, or both the
superintendent and principal, have denied the request and it
meets all other qualifying criteria.
All travel requests must be in written form and
include the number of students involved, the educational
value of the trip and program, a detailed statement
specifying the educational goals, objectives, and
activities, how the trip relates to the course curriculum,
and the means of evaluating how the trip has met the course
objectives.
The distance of the trip, cost of activity, class time
missed, evidence of planning, chaperoning, plans for make-up
class work which should be done in advance when
possible.
"District funds will not be used to subsidize student
travel to national competitions and events to which students
may be invited or for which they may have qualified through
participation within the programs sanctioned, sponsored,
authorized, or supported by the Juab School District," said
Wright.
In addition, he said, activity advisors may not
require students to participate in extended out of state
trips in order to participate in the regular in state and in
season competition.
All student travel must be pre-approved by the
principal. Travel over 170 miles, one way, involving
students must be approved in advance by the principal and
superintendent.
The high school will be limited to a maximum of six
trips beyond 170 miles per fiscal year (July 1 through June
30).Trips required by the Utah High School Activities
Association are exempted from this limit.
"The policy shall apply to any group of students
sponsored by, under the auspices of, or using the name of
the school or district," said Wright.
The loss of school time for out of state trips will
not be allowed for more than three days.
A minimum of 80 percent of parents of students
eligible for the trip must approve it and parents will be
surveyed by a signed, confidential secret vote conducted by
the principal.
In addition to the other items of information which
the board requests, a tentative trip itinerary should be
supplied to the parents in order to keep parents fully
informed.
"The board may impose additional qualifications, as it
considers needed, on any extended, out of state excursion,"
said Wright.
Middle school students must stay within a 120-mile
radius of the school and fees may not be charged students in
the fifth or sixth grade.
On the elementary level, schools may not exceed the
number of field trips equal to two times the number of grade
levels in the school. The rule does not apply to trips in
the school's boundaries. All trips will be charged to the
school's transportation budget.
No school group or organization may participate in
more than two overnight trips during any school year. This
limit will not affect students who may travel with more than
one group as a participant.
School employees are not allowed to solicit or permit
others to solicit students for commercial or non-school
sponsored trips without advance approval.
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