Field trip budget cut in half

School board reduces field trip budget to combat rising fuel costS

By Sara Rogers
<srogers@hilite.org>

Last year, physical education students, including sophomore Quinn Heath, boarded a bus to leave school and take a field trip to the bowling alley or the driving range. However, this year Heath’s freshman sister won’t be able to participate in those activities because of cuts in field trip funding.

To help cushion the effects of escalating gas prices, the school board has decided to reduce field trip funding from $12.50 to $6.25 per student.

“It used to be that teachers would turn in a request form and unless the idea was ridiculous, it’d be accepted,” Assistant Principal Ronda Eshleman said in explanation. “Buses cost a lot more money to run because of rising gas prices. We just can’t afford to do that anymore.”

The school board decided on the new reductions to save money as a district. “We’ve been given a budget now. It’s made us look at what field trips we’ve been doing,” Eshleman said, “We make sure (the field trip) is something the students wouldn’t get to do outside of school.”

Most school buses run on diesel fuel, which has become particularly expensive. Taking a single bus to the Indiana State Museum costs the school $75.30. A bus to Clowes Hall costs $64.80. Even so, most field trips require multiple buses. “I do think we needed to look at field trips and make sure they were really relevant. It’s something that needed to be done,” Eshleman said.

The new reductions particularly affect the physical education department. In previous years, the general physical education classes took offsite field trips to a bowling alley and a driving range for bowling and golfing units. With the recent decreases in funding, teachers dropped bowling from the curriculum completely. “I wish we didn’t have to do it,” physical education teacher Kathy Buck said. “It really takes away from the uniqueness of the curriculum.”

This year Heath’s younger sister is a freshman taking the class without field trips. “I feel like she’s missing out on what I had the privilege of doing in gym,” Heath said. “Going bowling and golfing with 100 of my friends is something I wouldn’t have gotten to do outside of school.” However, Eshleman says the new policy won’t affect students much. “I don’t think people will see a drastic change,” she said.

According to Buck, the department knew cost cuts were inevitable. To begin adapting to the change, Buck designed a miniature golf course that physical education classes could use at the school instead of going to a driving range.

Now, Buck is “just a little disappointed,” she said. “It’s something they probably wouldn’t do outside of school. Then again, I understand with the costs and fuel prices the way they are.”

According to Eshleman, the new policy will stay in place as long as gas prices are high. “It’s just kind of sad,” Heath said. “I really hope they start to bring back some of the field trips because a teacher talking about a subject can’t compare to actually experiencing it.”