Teachers rankled by expanded field trip reporting requirements
In November, members of the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) board reviewed an administrative staff request to require all outside of school excursions to have advance board approval, regardless of distance.
At past NVUSD Board of Education meetings, sitting board have members reviewed anywhere from two to 15 field trip requests under a policy that includes overnight trips, trips more than 100 miles from the district and trips taken by air or over water.
Now, those requirements have expanded to include all trips be submitted for approval at monthly board meetings. So far, each one has been granted. So, what’s the problem?
For American Canyon teachers taking classes a hop, skip and a jump away at the wetlands, the process has added to instructors’ already loaded plates. District rep Julie Bordes told the Current that “historically, the District has also required Board approval, as a standard practice, for field trips near water,” and that the expanded policy wouldn’t be implemented until the 2026-2027 school year. But several teachers confirmed that they were suddenly required to report trips to Wetlands Edge in recent months.
One teacher, who asked that they not be named, has been bringing students to Wetland’s Edge for years.
“The additional board approval process and the new $2 insurance requirement per student has made it nearly impossible to continue,” they told the Current. It’s typical for teachers to have to pay out of pocket for student activities, meaning a lot of time gets spent fundraising. Adding more fees felt like yet another hurdle, the teacher said.
When asked, Bordes said there is no additional fee when teachers submit field trip requests — as of now, it’s unclear what the miscommunication is.
In January, Wetland’s Edge achieved another level of educational value, with a shaded pavilion for instruction and a trail dotted with interpretive signage that guides the reader through the area’s history, flora and fauna.
“[NVUSD is] covering themselves on paper but has no idea of the ripple effects,” said Janelle Sellick, director of the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation.
“We had 10 classes not participate this year because of the requirements, the lead time and planning it took,” said Joy Hilton, education program director for the foundation.
Hilton regularly leads tours of the wetlands, teaching students about the area’s diverse ecosystem. “It’s all about the watershed, being comfortable being outside and learning observation and confidence,” she said of the tours.
Board member Cindy Watter said while she understands the concern, preventing accidents is a number one priority for the district.
“There was a terrible accident at a water park in 1997 with Napa High students,” said Watter. “I will never forget it.” One student, Quimby Ghilotti, died from head injuries she sustained. She’s now memorialized in a scholarship.
The move, Bordes said, is “to ensure more consistent oversight, alignment with district policies and educational goals, and more informed assessment of risk, safety and fiscal implications.”
“I know it’s hard on teachers,” said Watter. “We’re just very hyper vigilant about student safety.”
