(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.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 49. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)
(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.
(C) A self-insurance program of the school district.
(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.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 89, Sec. 6. (AB 2081) Effective January 1, 2011.)