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Board approves higher field‑trip trip pay after extended debate; families and booster groups will see higher fees
Summary
After a lengthy debate about driver recruitment and the cost impact on school organizations and families, the board approved raising the trip pay rate to a $24 trip rate (effective 2026–27) with a biennial review. Board members split over fundraising burdens and driver shortages.
The Coffee County Board of Education voted to change the district’s field-trip trip-pay schedule, approving a motion to move from the current trip rate (reported around $16.95) to a $24 trip rate for trip sheets beginning in the 2026–27 school year, with a formal review every two years.
Board discussion ran more than an hour. Supporters said higher trip pay is necessary to recruit and retain qualified bus drivers for after-hours and extracurricular trips; one proponent said the district’s top bus drivers earn up to $29 per hour and that offering a higher trip rate helps attract experienced drivers. An opponent warned the increase “doubl[es] the cost” for school support organizations and could sharply raise fundraising burdens for teams and clubs.
A principal and school staff described the impact on families and noted fee waivers and booster support already cover portions of trips; several board members asked for more data on how many students and trips would be affected by the change. The motion as presented set the flat trip rate at $24 and tied it to a policy adjustment every two years; the board approved the change by recorded vote (motion carried 5–2 as recorded).
Board members requested follow-up information from principals and finance staff on likely effects to student participation, waiver incidence and fundraising needs so the policy’s financial impact can be monitored.
