Phoenix Union High School District Reveals New Student Travel Policy Following Drowning Incident Of Student

The governing board of Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) has unanimously approved a revision to its student travel policy, following the unfortunate incident of 15-year-old Christopher Hampton, a student at Cesar Chavez High School, who drowned during a football camp. The incident occurred nearly seven months ago when Hampton went for a swim in a lake with his teammates while they were traveling in Show Low. However, the coaches and team left the lake without realizing that Hampton was missing.

The updated travel policy is significantly more comprehensive compared to its previous version. It contains a roster of prohibited activities and further details on the required approval from the district administration or governing board for trips.

Many feel the specific policies in place are not important. What is important is that the administration and coaches adhere to these policies.

According to the new policy, the district does not allow swimming or non-AIA-sanctioned activities such as rope courses or zip-lining. Furthermore, there must be a certified employee or authorized adult for every 10 students on overnight or out-of-state trips, and one for every 15 students on local trips. However, Taylor emphasizes that the preparation of district employees is of greater importance than any policies in place.

A big piece of these changes are ensuring that both coaches and the administration are trained is crucial in preventing a similar incident from occurring to another child.

According to a spokesperson from PXU, the district’s team responsible for systems improvement collaborated to evaluate and modify the PXU’s policies and procedures for field trips and travel. PXU regularly conducts reviews and updates to their processes and procedures related to all school-related operations, as part of their dedication to continuous improvement and providing the best service to their students, staff, and community.

The implementation of the new district policy will take place on Jul. 1.