Senate Approves Field Trip Funding Bill

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Senate approved a bill this week that would allow the state's public school districts to fund field trips through their budgets. The bill, introduced by the chair of the Senate Education committee, would not allow the districts to ask parents and guardians of students for the money directly.

The bill comes in the wake of a controversial, confusing opinion by outgoing Education Commissioner Ken Wagner, who interpreted the current policy to mean that districts cannot charge students for the trips.

"That advice was confusing to many, and as a result, school districts have been canceling their field trips," Senator Hanna Gallo said. "That is an incredibly unfortunate — and I’m quite sure unintended —consequence of the letter. The goal of this legislation is to provide clarity."

Under the bill, school committees could allocate funds for field trips in their budgets. Parents and guardians would be allowed to make donations to help cover the costs.

"The bill does not, however, allow schools to directly ask families for money to pay for field trips because schools can’t do that," Gallo continued. "Schools can let families know that donations are always welcome, but asking parents to contribute would create a two-tier education system — one for students who can afford to pay for valuable experiences like field trips, and one for students who can’t. That is not what public education is about. Students who sit next to each other in a public school classroom should have the same opportunities available to them."

The bill will now head to the House of Representatives, where a similar bill, introduced by Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, was approved earlier this month. Under that legislation, districts would be allowed to charge families for field trips, though the school would have to cover the difference for those who cannot afford to pay the cost.