USD 383 admin says field trips "encouraged" but may be affected by COVID-19, staffing shortage

AJ Dome, The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.
·2 min read

Sep. 23—After a year without them, the assistant superintendent of the Manhattan-Ogden school district said field trips are once again allowed.

USD 383 assistant superintendent Eric Reid said field trips are being planned by teachers on all grade levels this year. As with all district activities, Reid said teachers must follow COVID-19 health protocols when setting up any trips.

"They'll have to be more careful, more intentional in what they do," Reid said.

Besides the coronavirus, Reid said another issue that will arise when planning a field trip this year is staffing. At the Sept. 15 school board meeting, Reid said the district is "definitely struggling on the classified side" with a need for paraprofessionals, child nutrition support staffers and bus drivers. Reid said the district has "80 to 90" jobs currently open.

At that board meeting, Reid expressed concern about a lack of qualified drivers for school buses and other passenger vehicles. He said some extracurricular trips "may be limited" because of the staffing shortage.

For a field trip involving a whole class or grade level — therefore requiring school buses — Reid said there may be time and distance restrictions on any trips because of fewer bus drivers running multiple routes daily.

"It limits how far you can go, not so much what you can do," Reid said. "There might not be enough time for a full day trip, with a bus driver having to do morning and afternoon routes."

Reid said field trips are "an important part of the educational process," and teachers, as well as staff members and administrators in the district, are doing "everything they can to be as safe and normal as possible."

"My people are really creative," Reid said.

Reid said field trips where students get to be outdoors are "especially encouraged."

Like other districts across the country, USD 383 put field trips and other extracurricular travel on hold for the 2020-21 school year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Museums and other educational attractions began offering virtual tours and programming for students last year, and teachers still have access to some virtual field trip options for their classes.