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Beaufort committee tightens rules for student travel, chaperones and safety
Summary
Staff proposed changes to student-travel administrative rules requiring superintendent approval at least 45 days before overnight/out-of-county trips, a 1:7 chaperone ratio, two district employees present for extracurricular travel, and a requirement that a first-aid kit accompany student travel.
District staff told the academic committee July 17 that proposed administrative-regulation changes for student travel are intended to emphasize learning alignment, safety and accessibility.
Under the updated language staff reviewed, off-site learning experiences must align with course and state standards and travel requiring approval now includes overnight, out-of-county and any event involving water. Staff said the ARs change the approval window for overnight travel to require superintendent (or designee) approval at least 45 days in advance, while recognizing athletic competitions may require exceptions for teams that advance on short notice.
Safety and supervision standards in the ARs include a requirement that any extracurricular activity have at least two Beaufort County School District employees in attendance and a chaperone ratio of 1 adult to 7 students. Staff also added a requirement that a first-aid kit accompany student travel and added expectations for teacher responsibilities (health needs, medication and accommodation identification) when learning happens outside the classroom.
Staff said the updates prohibit student travel during the first 10 days of the school year and ask that travel not coincide with critical academic dates such as testing. The ARs also add instruction on accommodating students who cannot participate so they continue to have aligned learning opportunities and make-up work.
Committee members asked for clarification on cross-state or multi-jurisdiction trips and how exceptions would be granted; staff said the superintendent (or designee) has discretion for exceptions tied to competitive advancement.
The committee did not record a formal vote adopting these ARs at the meeting. Staff asked committee members to review executive summaries and supporting documents ahead of the next full board session.
