Excursions And Field Trips - Governing Boards - CA Education

Section § 35330

This law allows school districts in California to organize and conduct field trips for students, whether it's within the state, to other states, or even to foreign countries, as part of their educational or extracurricular activities. The districts can arrange and fund transportation and supervision, but must ensure no student is left out due to financial hardship. Students' attendance on such trips is counted towards school attendance, with some limits. Additionally, parties involved must waive liability claims for any incidents while on the trip. School districts cannot claim state reimbursement for transportation costs for out-of-state field trips and must report the use of school buses for these trips.

(a) The governing board of a school district or the county superintendent of schools of a county may:

(1) Conduct field trips or excursions in connection with courses of instruction or school-related social, educational, cultural, athletic, or school band activities to and from places in the state, any other state, the District of Columbia, or a foreign country for pupils enrolled in elementary or secondary schools. A field trip or excursion to and from a foreign country may be permitted to familiarize pupils with the language, history, geography, natural sciences, and other studies relative to the district’s course of study for pupils.

(2) Engage instructors, supervisors, and other personnel to contribute their services over and above the normal period for which they are employed by the district, if necessary, and provide equipment and supplies for the field trip or excursion.

(3) Transport by use of district equipment, contract to provide transportation, or arrange transportation by the use of other equipment, of pupils, instructors, supervisors, or other personnel to and from places in the state, another state, the District of Columbia, or a foreign country where those excursions and field trips are being conducted, provided that, when district equipment is used, the governing board shall secure liability insurance, and if travel is to and from a foreign country, liability insurance shall be secured from a carrier licensed to transact insurance business in the foreign country.

(4) Provide supervision of pupils involved in field trips or excursions by certificated employees of the district.

(b)

(1) A pupil shall not be prevented from making the field trip or excursion because of lack of sufficient funds. To this end, the governing board shall coordinate efforts of community service groups to supply funds for pupils in need.

(2) A group shall not be authorized to take a field trip or excursion authorized by this section if a pupil who is a member of an identifiable group will be excluded from participation in the field trip or excursion because of lack of sufficient funds.

(c)

(1) The attendance or participation of a pupil in a field trip or excursion authorized by this section shall be considered attendance for the purpose of crediting attendance for apportionments from the State School Fund in the fiscal year. Credited attendance resulting from a field trip or excursion shall be limited to the amount of attendance that would have accrued had the pupils not been engaged in the field trip or excursion.

(2) Credited attendance shall not exceed 10 schooldays except in the case of pupils participating in a field trip or excursion in connection with courses of instruction, or school-related educational activities, and that are not social, cultural, athletic, or school band activities.

(d) All persons making the field trip or excursion shall be deemed to have waived all claims against the district, a charter school, or the State of California for injury, accident, illness, or death occurring during or by reason of the field trip or excursion. All adults taking out-of-state field trips or excursions and all parents or guardians of pupils taking out-of-state field trips or excursions shall sign a statement waiving all claims.

(e) Transportation allowances shall not be made by the Superintendent for expenses incurred with respect to field trips or excursions that have an out-of-state destination. A school district that transports pupils, teachers, or other employees of the school district in schoolbuses within the state and to destinations within the state, pursuant to the provisions of this section, shall report to the Superintendent on forms prescribed by him or her the total mileage of schoolbuses used in connection with educational excursions. In computing the allowance to a school district for regular transportation there shall be deducted from that allowance an amount equal to the depreciation of schoolbuses used for the transportation in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Superintendent.

field trips school excursions transportation funding student attendance liability waiver financial assistance out-of-state trips transportation reporting educational activities supervision requirements school district responsibilities insurance requirements community service funds schoolbuses mileage reporting attendance credit limitations

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 49. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)

Section § 35331

This law states that school districts in California must offer medical or hospital services for students who get injured during school trips. They can provide these services through nonprofit organizations, insurance policies, or self-insurance. The costs can be covered by the district's funds, or paid by the student or their parents. The service providers must be authorized to do business in California, and any claims through a self-insurance program should be paid from a designated fund.

(a) The governing board of any school district conducting excursions and field trips pursuant to this article shall provide, or make available, medical or hospital service, or both, for pupils of the district injured while participating in any excursion or field trip under the jurisdiction of, or sponsored or controlled by, the district or the authorities of any school of the district.

(b)

(1) The medical or hospital service, or both, described in subdivision (a) shall be provided, or made available, through any of the following:

(A) One or more nonprofit membership corporations defraying the cost of medical or hospital service, or both.

(B) One or more group, blanket, or individual policies of accident insurance from an authorized insurer.

(2) The cost incurred by the school district pursuant to this subdivision may be paid from the funds of the district, or by the insured pupil or his or her parent or guardian.

(3) The membership may be taken in, or the insurance may be purchased from, only those corporations or insurers that are authorized to do business in this state. If the coverage described in this subdivision is to be provided through a self-insurance program of the school district, claims may be paid from a fund established for that purpose.

school district excursions field trip injuries medical services for students hospital services nonprofit membership corporations accident insurance policies self-insurance program California authorized insurers self-insurance fund school trip coverage

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 89, Sec. 6. (AB 2081) Effective January 1, 2011.)

Section § 35332

This law says that air transportation, under this particular guideline, can only be offered if it meets certain conditions. The air transport must be through government-owned aircraft, chartered or scheduled flights by approved carriers with specific certifications, or carriers authorized by the state's Public Utilities Commission. Essentially, it's ensuring that these flights are safe and legally recognized by the proper authorities.

No transportation by air may be provided under this article unless the transportation by air is provided by any of the following: (a) aircraft owned and operated by the state or federal government; (b) chartered or regularly scheduled aircraft operated exclusively by an air carrier or foreign air carrier as defined in subdivisions (3) and (19) of Section 101 of Title 1 of the “Federal Aviation Act of 1958” (Public Law 85-726; 72 Stat. 731) engaged in air transportation as defined in subdivision (10) of the same section while there is in force a certificate or permit issued by the Civil Aeronautics Board of the United States, or its successor, authorizing such air carrier to engage in such transportation; or (c) chartered or regularly scheduled aircraft of a passenger air carrier as defined pursuant to Section 2741 of the Public Utilities Code that is authorized to engage in transportation by air in the State of California by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2739) of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code.

air transportation government-owned aircraft chartered flights scheduled flights air carrier foreign air carrier Federal Aviation Act Civil Aeronautics Board Public Utilities Commission passenger air carrier Transportation by air certificate or permit California authorization public utilities aviation regulations

(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 41.)