CAREER & TECHNICAL STUDENT OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL 3161
All requirements and standards of travel as stated in Sevier School District policy 3160 must be followed.
1. Career & Technical student organizations (CTSO) are an integral part of each CTE high school program. A goal of the CTSO is to prepare students to compete at the national level to celebrate their academic achievement. The trip must be considered an extension of the classroom and requires the same or higher professional behavior with the full attention of the advisor. To request travel for this purpose, students must meet all of the following requirements to seek Board approval:
1.1 Must be paid members and fully affiliated with both the state and national chapter of the CTSO organization.
1.2 Must be currently active in their CTSO shown by participation in the majority of the club activities and fund raising events.
1.3 High school students must be enrolled in a CTE class related to the CTSO during the current school year.
1.4 Must be recommended to the Board by the CTE advisor and school principal.
1.5 The student must not have any written documentation of unapproved behavior.
1.6 Must have written parental support and permission to travel with the CTSO organization.
1.7 Must have placed high enough and qualified at a state sponsored CTSO competition to receive an invitation (including state recognized placing move-ups) to compete as an individual student or group of students at the local, state, regional or national level, or they are a state officer as a result of an election process of the state CTSO.
1.8 At least one CTSO student member must qualify according to state placing criteria to compete, or as an elected state officer and plan to attend the national competition for the district to cover the cost of a CTSO advisor.
1.9 A completed Out-of-State Travel Request Form must be provided to the District Superintendent’s secretary as part of the request including names and qualifying event.
1.10 Information must be provided to the principal that shows this trip has educational merit; that the group will raise all monies associated with the trip following Board Policy; that a private carrier will be contracted that has the proper liability insurance, and that the students will not miss more than five (5) days of instruction for travel related to school sponsored CTSO.
2. Overnight, Long-Distance, and International Trips
2.1 The principal, superintendent, CTE director and the Board of Education must approve all CTE out-of -state travel requests. Request should be made to the Board at least six (6) weeks prior to the event.
2.2 Student participation in out-of-state travel shall not provide a financial burden on students or their families and is totally voluntary on the part of the parents. The CTSO organization sponsoring the trip must do so within the financial constraints of their budget and shall provide financial accountability for all expenditures. Students attending the national competition are responsible for all of their own travel expenses.
3. Withdrawal of Approval if Safety Concerns Arise
Whenever the principal, superintendent, or Board of Education determines that dangerous conditions may affect the health, safety, or welfare of those travelling, the principal, superintendent, or Board may withdraw approval for the trip. In making such decisions, the principal, superintendent, and Board will heed any travel advisories or restrictions issued by the FBI, the state department, or local officials. The Board, the District, and the school will not assume any liability for reimbursement of any costs or expenses incurred by any trip for which the principal, superintendent, or Board withdraws its approval.
4. Adequate Supervision of Students
CTSO advisors must provide adequate adult supervision at a ratio of 1 adult per 8 CTE students at all times.
5. Unsupervised Time
Advisors and chaperones must not schedule any unsupervised time for students, and must supervise students at all times during the trip.
6. Itinerary and Roster Contact Information
Advisor supervising CTSO trips must prepare a detailed itinerary, a roster of participants, and a list of addresses and telephone numbers where participants can be reached in case of an emergency. Advisors must submit this information to the principal at least one day before the trip. If any deviation from the itinerary occurs, advisors must notify the principal and CTE director as soon as possible.
7. Conduct Standards and Emergency Procedures
Advisors must review with students the student code of conduct and emergency procedures for out-of-state travel.
8. Notification of Emergency
In the event of an emergency while traveling out-of-state, the advisor leading the trip must notify the principal by telephone as soon as possible. This includes emergencies directly affecting students as well as general emergencies in the area where the competition is taking place.
9. Travel To and From Event with Advisor
Students are expected to travel to and from the CTSO event with the advisor leading the trip. Students are not permitted to leave the event on their own. Advisors must never send a student home alone even for disciplinary reasons. Parents/guardians desiring to take their children home before a CTSO trip ends, must submit a written request to the advisor, principal, and CTE Director about such arrangements in advance of the trip. The Board and the District assume no liability for students who are, for any reason, transported by parents in private cars.
10. Participation in CTSO Events
Staff members or students will not be required to participate or be pressured into participating in a CTSO trip.
Approved: 06/20/12
Revised: 02/26/14