Field trip question

[DrummersMom]

My 10yo child has a special field trip for participating in a fundraising event. Per 504, parent or other adult of our chosing will attend. Lunch is to be served, so I will be there. Child will bring own food. I told the organizer, a parent is to go per 504 and reply was "you can meet us there." Bus ride is about 20 minutes and bus drivers were trained in past although I'm not sure if they were this year (child does not ride bus to/from school). I figure there are a few options:

Follow bus, child rides bus (will be sure teachers attending are FA and Epi trained)
Follow bus, child rides with me
Fight to be able to ride the bus

Child has multiple FAs, with past suspected contact reactions with hives or asthma symptoms. Very few incidents with minor symptoms in recent years. Child wears Epi and think I'd have him bring cell phone if he rode bus.

What would you do?

[CMdeux]

At ten?

I might defer to child's wishes...

and I'd find out what level of adult supervision there is on the buses, as well as what (if any) food and drink policy will be enforced during the trip.

[Carefulmom]

What is the exact wording in the 504 about this?  Is it really clear that you get to ride the bus or more that you get to be at the event?  I`d really want to know the exact wording in order to comment.  I agree with CM Deux that part of it depends on your child`s wishes, but I would not let child ride bus without epi trained adult---either you, teacher, bus driver, etc.  Unplanned things can happen; that`s just the way it is with food allergies, especially if your child is MFA with contact reactions.

[DrummersMom]

Thanks for the responses. I waited to reply to the teacher in charge until I spoke with DS. He is okay with taking the bus if I follow in the car.

I just re-read his 504 and of course it just says a parent or other adult we chose may attend all field trips. Doesn't say anything about parent being allowed to ride the bus.

I will definately make sure teacher on bus or bus driver has been trained recently.

[Carefulmom]

Well, attending the field trip means being with the kids the entire time.  Our 504 said the same thing and I was always on the bus.  The field trip starts when the kids get on the bus at school and ends when the trip returns to school.  When you sign the permission slip, ours lists the field trip as being from ____ time to ____ time (such as 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.) and that defines the field trip as starting when the bus leaves school.  So IMO the school is wrong by saying you cannot ride the bus.  They are violating your child`s 504.  I would find out which your child prefers---not is he okay with you following, but rather which does he prefer.  I personally don`t take well to 504 violations.  Is your ds at the age where he specifically does not want you there?  That did not start for us until middle school.  If he prefers you go, I would insist that they follow the 504.  I don`t think the 504 needs to spell out that you are allowed to ride the bus.  If it says you attend all field trips, then it is obvious that includes each part of the field trip.  I think most members here with 504s have it in there that we can go on the field trips, and I don`t think any of our 504s actually specify that we are allowed to ride the bus.  I think most people assume attending the field trip means all parts.

I know what I would do.  I would write a short note to get the paper trail going.   I would write something to the teacher in charge saying that per the 504 you will be attending the field trip from the time the kids leave school until they return.  BTW, I had to call our Office of Educational Equity Compliance over something that relates to field trips, and I am positive that they interpret it to mean that the parent rides the bus.   I am in California.

[DrummersMom]

Thank-you Careful Mom. I hadn't thought of it that way. We've already had a couple of 504 violations this year, mostly minor, beginning of the year issues. Since I'm not dealing with his regular teacher about this field trip, I think I will contact the asst. principal who told me to contact her should there be any issues. I will use your wording about field trip starting from the time they leave the school.