No more overnight

field trips for Fayette County students? Not so,

says Stuart Bennett, assistant superintendent for

curriculum and instruction.

A persistent rumor

concerning the demise of overnight trips was laid

to rest last week by schools officials who claim

that there was no truth to the matter.

"I've heard

nothing about it," said Dr. John DeCotis,

superintendent of Fayette County schools. Bennett

added that there has been discussion among school

administrators about field trips, especially in

the way the excursions are linked to curriculum.

For instance, a three-night trip to Washington,

D.C., traditionally taken by seventh graders,

might be better suited for eighth graders,

Bennett explained. "That's when they take

Georgia history and American history."

Field trip requests

have come under close scrutiny this year,

according to Bennett. "We only have the

students 180 days and we want to make the most of

them," he said.

The rumor came to

the media's attention last week when Debbie

Matthews of Fayetteville wrote a letter to the

editors of two local papers expressing concern

over the possible elimination of field trips. The

letter is reprinted in the Opinion section in

this issue. Matthews said she took the letter

route after trying unsuccessfully to get through

on the telephone to school administrators on

other issues.

"I also wanted

parents to know how wonderful these trips

are," she said. Matthews recently

accompanied her child, who is a student at

Whitewater Middle School on a trip to Washington,

D.C.

As of last

September, a list of general requirements for

school field trips, approved by the school board

in the spring of 1998, was reissued to school

principals in the form of a memo from Bennett,

who receives all field trip requests.

A list of

pre-approved activities that is geared to

elementary and middle school schools by grade and

curriculum exists for teachers to use. Trips not

included on the list must be requested on a

special "long form" and receive

approval by a group called the school leadership

committee.

The third guideline

explains that the number of field trips per

school is calculated by the number of certified

teachers at the school. Elementary teachers are

allowed two field trips a year, and students may

take no more than four, including overnights.

Middle school teams

or "special area" teachers have two

trips and, in special circumstances, three. There

are no overnight trips for students in

kindergarten through third grade.

In-county trips, no

more than three hours in duration, don't count in

the recommended tally. All high school field

trips must be approved according to a special set

of guidelines, to avoid students missing valuable

classroom instruction.

Those requirements

state that the experience must be unique and

cannot be duplicated in school or any other time

during the school day. It must be related to and

enhance curriculum. Trips cannot be offered as

rewards and if possible should relate to more

than one area of instruction.

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