Field Trips

Field trips provide students with learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. Every student comes to school with different experiences and opportunities, and visits to museums, cultural institutions, parks, performances, colleges, community organizations, and other destinations can help connect classroom learning with the world around them.

San Francisco offers an extraordinary range of educational opportunities that students can experience firsthand.

Field Trip Forms and Regulations

Bus-related questions or day-of-trip transportation emergencies Link to this section

For an emergency on the day of the trip or questions regarding SFUSD school bus service, contact Zum:

1-855-743-3986

Field Trip or EventLocker Questions Link to this section

For questions regarding field trip requests, the EventLocker process, or other field trip requirements:

SFUSD Transportation Department
415-695-5505
fieldtrips@sfusd.edu

When contacting us about an existing trip, please include the school, trip date, destination, and EventLocker request number when available.

SFUSD is introducing EventLocker, a new online platform for managing school-sponsored field trips.

EventLocker provides one centralized place for SFUSD staff to submit, review, approve, and manage field trip requests. Instead of relying on separate forms, emails, and approval processes, staff will be able to manage the field trip process from a single request.

Depending on the trip and the services requested, EventLocker can help coordinate:

• Field trip request submission
• School administrator approval
• Required forms and documentation
• Transportation information and coordination
• School bus requests
• Charter transportation information
• Field trip meal requests
• Student and participant information
• Parent/guardian authorizations
• Chaperone and volunteer information
• Trip status and outstanding requirements
• Trip documents and summary forms

The system is designed to give requesters and administrators greater visibility into where each trip stands and what, if anything, still needs to be completed before the trip.

Accessing EventLocker

Authorized SFUSD staff will receive access to the EventLocker portal.

EventLocker Portal

Staff can sign in with their District Google account. After signing in, they can create new field trip requests and view requests tied to their school or assigned role.

Field trip requests should be submitted through EventLocker.

When creating a request, staff will be guided through the information needed for the trip, including:

• School and requester information
• Trip date and destination
• Departure and return times
• Number of students and adults
• Grade level(s)
• Educational purpose of the trip
• Transportation arrangements
• Meal requirements, when applicable
• Accessibility or transportation accommodations
• Other information required based on the type of trip

EventLocker may display additional questions or requirements depending on the information entered.

You can save a request as a draft and return to it before submitting it for review.

After a field trip request is submitted, EventLocker will route it through the appropriate SFUSD review process.

Requesters can use EventLocker to see the current status of their trip, including whether:

• The request is awaiting school approval
• Additional information or changes have been requested
• The trip has been approved
• Transportation or other operational arrangements are still being reviewed
• Additional requirements must be completed before the trip

Trip approval and transportation arrangements are not necessarily the same thing. A trip may receive school approval while transportation, meals, parent authorizations, or other trip requirements are still being coordinated.

Staff should review the request dashboard and outstanding requirements before the trip date.

All school-sponsored field trips requiring a school bus must use SFUSD-approved school bus or charter bus services.

Students may not be transported using an unapproved charter transportation vendor. This requirement also applies when a third party is arranging transportation on behalf of the District.

SFUSD School Bus Requests

When SFUSD school bus transportation is available for a trip, the transportation request and its status will be managed through EventLocker.

Submitting a field trip request does not by itself guarantee bus availability. Staff should review the transportation status shown in EventLocker and any related instructions before the trip.

Charter Bus Transportation

When using charter transportation, schools must select an SFUSD-approved charter bus company.

The SFUSD Transportation Department does not make charter bus reservations on behalf of schools.

Reservations, billing, and payment arrangements for charter buses are coordinated directly between the school site or sponsoring department and the approved charter bus company.

Transportation approval from the SFUSD Transportation Department is not required before making an approved charter bus reservation unless otherwise indicated in EventLocker.

When parent or guardian authorization is required, EventLocker may be used to manage the authorization process for the trip.

Trip organizers will be able to review authorization status and identify students whose authorization has not yet been received.

Staff remain responsible for reviewing the trip record and confirming that required authorizations and other trip requirements have been completed before departure.

If students require school-provided meals for a field trip, indicate this when completing the EventLocker request.

EventLocker will collect the information needed for meal planning, including meal counts and applicable dietary information, and will display the status of the meal request when the feature applies to the trip.

Please submit requests as early as possible so that the appropriate departments have sufficient time to review and coordinate services.

Before departure, trip organizers should review their EventLocker request and confirm that:

• The field trip has received the required approval
• Transportation arrangements are confirmed
• Required parent/guardian authorizations have been received
• Required student, chaperone, and participant information is complete
• Meal arrangements are confirmed, if applicable
• Any outstanding requirements or requested changes have been resolved
• Trip documents and emergency information are available to the appropriate staff

EventLocker should be used as the primary location for reviewing the current status of the field trip.