This just seems like a conflict of interest to me......
The whole school (300 students) goes on a field trip to an apple orchard.
$17.00 a kid to take a 2 mile bus ride, a small paper cup of Apple Cider, one doughnut, one hotdog and a bottle of water.
The kicker is one of the teachers at this school OWNS the orchard.
There are two other apple orchards within the same mileage from the school.
What do you think about this?
I think it's ridiculous that it cost $17 per child and I'd be asking where the funds went.
If the teacher had no idea the students were going then that is one thing. More likely, whoever decided wanted to give her some business. Which would be fine but that is a lot to pay for something like that. Our child had a field trip last spring where he walked a mile to get to the place. The kids were tired and it was a hot day but definitely doable. Ridiculous to pay that much to take a bus. That food cost at most maybe $2 per child. Fund raisers use hot dogs because they are high mark up and cheap to purchase. The owner probably pays 25 cents a bottle and that is being generous because she buys in bulk. The owner could have even made a tax deductible donation of the food to the kids. The most expensive field trip we have had thus far was a Boston Duck Tour - I think $25 per child - which included the tour plus a bus to get there.
ummmmm, no, sounds like somebody is getting shafted.....the pumpkin patch our little ones go to is about $5 ea., and they get to bring a pumpkin home, we just pack a lunch, and the school provides drink, and a snack.....
I didn't assume anything - I was speaking to the general public of the post, including you. There is no way on God's green earth that I would know what every CM member does or does not teach their child. I was making a point to say what I do, and what I would have done in such a situation. Please though, I'm curious, what exactly was it that I said that was offensive to you? I was not rude, just matter of fact.
Bottom line, from my perspective, the children got what they paid for. I didn't see the OP say anywhere that the kids only stayed for 10 minutes....but, pardon me, I cannot scour through every single reply as I have an extremely busy schedule. If you think $12 is okay, what's another $5 going to hurt? If my kids were not homeschooled, I would not have any issue paying $17 for this trip. I would, however, have a problem with the food served because we eat mostly organic. But one non-organic hot dog isn't going to kill them, so I would suck it up and let them have fun with their friends.
Quoting iansusie:You are assuming too much, I teach my children about money, I tell them when we can't buy something, I tell them there is always a next time and I have taught them how to earn their own money with a lemonade stand, they KNOW money does not grow on tress and you must work HARD for it but they are 5 and 7. I would have probably sucked it up and paid but I still think it is too much. Her kid did not get "all that" She got a hot dog, a doughnut, a water and a cup of apple cider. And probably was at the apple orchard in less than 10 min. $12 MAX. I am sure they could have skipped the hot dogs and doughnuts and done bagged school lunch and JUST the apple cider, to make it easier on the parents and each kid should have gotten at least ONE apple to take home!
I just do not think a school, specially not a public school, should make field trips so expensive $10, I think is fair, if it costs more then do not do it or at least give parents TIME, not a week (that is how much time we had to come up with the money and no $9 will not kill us but someone else might not have it) And yes California and New York might be more expensive but it does not mean that parents can afford expensive trips. Yes I can in theory keep my child home and I guess take him to the doctor to get a note so I can have an excused absence for him.
I just find you comment offensive, I do not want the school to pay for the trips but I want a reasonable and fair fee that matches with what they are receiving.
Quoting banana-bear:
I just cannot see how $17 is too much for that trip, considering all they got. We obviously live in different cities/states, because that money ($17) doesn't go that far here. If I could not afford to go, I would give my child two options: stay home or go to school.
Children need to be aware that some families just cannot afford to go and there will be a "next time". I tell my kids all the time that I'm not paying $30 for a toy they will never play with, just because we went to the store and they want to buy something. My kids know to ask me if something is expensive or not and if it seems like a reasonable purchase. Teach them about money and budgeting while they are young. It's truly beneficial to inform them that they can't always get what they want; especially when the family cannot afford it.
I dont think so simply because you would most likely have to pay to go to either of the other two so if that is the case and tne school chose that orchard to go to I see nothing wrong with it. Now if it was the teacher who owns the orchard who made the decixion to do the field trip above the other two orchards then yea that would be wrong in my opinion because he/she would obviously jsut be charing to seen a profit. The costs of the trip is fuel for a few buses, 300 ciders, 300 doughnuts, 300 hotddogs & 300 waters. After all that being supplied I have to wonder how muh money he could be makiing off the trip.
shoe tying
- Cindy18
on Oct. 3, 2012 at 5:40 PM