• Field Trips

    Academic field trips are an integral part of education, providing an opportunity for èßäÊÓƵ to engage in real-world experiences beyond the confines of the classroom. These excursions can range from visiting a museum or historical site to participating in scientific research or attending a cultural event. The benefits of academic field trips are numerous, including the development of critical thinking skills, the promotion of cultural awareness and understanding, and the enhancement of social skills through teamwork and collaboration.

    Requesting a Field Trip Bus

    To request a field trip, you need to use the district's TripTracker software and submit the "Approval to Plan a Field Trip" form to your principal's secretary. Please make sure to complete the form at least 3 weeks before you need the bus and submit it to your secretary at least 10 working days prior to the field trip date. For wilderness, overnight, and international trips, the deadline for submitting the form is longer — 30 days for wilderness and/or overnight trips, and 90 days for international trips.

    Please note that requested trips are approved on a first-come-first-served basis, and the availability of drivers is a factor in the approval process. Also, there are limited drivers available during the èßäÊÓƵ week before 9:30 a.m. and between 1:30 p.m. and 4:40 p.m., as they are busy transporting èßäÊÓƵ to and from èßäÊÓƵ.

    If your trip involves traveling anywhere in Washington state, please read the information Risk Management provides here.

    School Bus Capacity

    Grade Level “71 pak” “83 pak” “65 pak Wheel Chair”
    Pk–3 71 83 36 + 2 WC
    Pk–5 68 80 36 + 2 WC
    4–5 64 76 36 + 2 WC
    6–8 53 70 28 + 2 WC
    9–12 47 56 24 + 2 WC

    Canceling the Bus

    A bus must be canceled no later than 24 hours prior to the time the trip departs in order to avoid cancellation charges. Please send this in writing via email to fieldtrips@pps.net. You are responsible for confirming that your trip is canceled; otherwise your èßäÊÓƵ will be charged. You can do this by viewing the weekly Google document that will be posted on a weekly basis.

    Changes to Your Trip

    Please submit any changes to your trip via email to fieldtrips@pps.net at least 48 hours prior to your leave time. No changes will be accepted less than 48 hours prior to trip day.

    Weather-related issues – call at least 2 hours before trip to avoid cancellation charges.

    Field Trip Rules

    Your bus driver is responsible for keeping your pupils safe during the trip, so they need to pay attention to the road at all times. Teachers and chaperones are responsible for managing the èßäÊÓƵ' behavior and discipline while on the bus. It would be great if you could help us by ensuring that your èßäÊÓƵ don't make too much noise and follow the rules posted on the bus.

    To avoid potential liability issues, the District cannot support activities that may be risky. Please contact private organizations if you need help organizing trips for sports clubs, ski or snowboarding, or high èßäÊÓƵ graduation parties.

    If you need to cancel or change a trip, please visit the Requesting a Field Trip sub-page to learn more.

    It's important to make sure that your èßäÊÓƵ are ready to return to the bus on time. If the bus is delayed, it could make the entire afternoon route late, and this will result in an extra charge for the trip.

    Finally, each field trip bus is required to have an adult chaperone on it, according to regulations set by the Oregon Department of Education.