State says 'no' to school trip subsidies

By FRANK NARDOZZI                          

Students' trips may not be subsidized by a public school district, unless the trips are an integral part of the school's educational program.

That was the gist of a ruling handed down by New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills last week in response to a challenge filed by Phil Christe of Mount Kisco to a Bedford Central School Board decision made in December 1998.

During its Dec. 16, 1998 meeting, the local school board decided to pay up to $10,000 of the cost of chaperones to accompany 46 Fox Lane High School students who traveled to France and Spain over their spring recess in 1999.

The request for financial assistance was made by a foreign language teacher after student fund-raising for the trip fell short of being able to pay the full $1,700 cost per student of transportation, food and accommodations, as well as the cost of the chaperones.

With the district paying for the six chaperones, all of whom were teachers, a savings of $200 per student was realized.

Mr. Christe, a longtime critic of the school board, objected that the board's action amounted to the "improper use of public funds to subsidize private travel."

In a press release issued by Bedford Central earlier this week, the district administration stated it was "extremely disappointed in the ruling," which they said would "effectively eliminate almost all overnight student travel."

Basis of ruling

In his ruling, Mr. Mills said that in previous years, student groups had taken similar trips and the school board had viewed them as "private undertakings between the chaperones and students," and not as a school sponsored activity.

Although there was no difference noted in the format or objectives in 1999, the board voted to support the trips as "school-sponsored."

According to Mr. Mills, "It is improper to use public funds to subsidize a trip that is essentially a private recreational experience and not a part of a school district's educational program."

Under the New York state Constitution, he said, a school district is prohibited from giving or loaning property or money to any individual or private organization for private purposes.

"It is well recognized that school field trips are an integral part of the educational experience," Mr. Mills said. But "the trips in this case were essentially private trips... irrespective of the incidental educational benefit to the students," he ruled.

The commissioner stated that for such trips to be considered a part of an educational program in the future, they would have to be scheduled during regular academic schooldays and be recognized as appropriate for academic credit.

"These trips had nothing to do with the curriculum," Mr. Christe said earlier this week. "The itinerary was the same as for a vacation. Why should the school district pay so that these students could speak Spanish to a few waiters?"

"The board and administration regard this as a most unfortunate decision, and one that will work to the detriment of students in districts throughout New York state," the Bedford Central School District said in Tuesday's press release.

"Historically, in almost all circumstances involving student school travel, school districts assume some degree of financial responsibility whether it be in the form of defrayal of chaperone costs, provision of school liability insurance, or use of school property or personnel to plan the events. As a result of the commissioner's finding in this appeal, such school sponsorship is now virtually impermissible," district officials said.

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