Discount Policy

Discounts may be available, on a first-come, first-served basis. The discount for a school is based on three factors: 1) the free and reduced level for your school, and 2) the amount of funds GBOS has to provide discounts, and 3) the number of students you sign up to bring. The GBOS funds come from grants, donation and fundraising activities, and will vary season to season.

The free and reduced level for each school will be based on the most recent version of the Free and Reduced report available on the Nevada Department of Education website (http://www.nde.state.nv.us/edteam/ndeoffices/schoolhealth/docs.html), as of the date you make your deposit.

Sixth months ahead of the season (March 15 for fall season and October 15 for spring season), all available discount funds will be allocated to schools which have signed up and made their deposit. The GBOS Administrative Director will provide to you a quotation for a dollar amount of your discount, based on the three factors above. Any school signing up and making a deposit after this date may not receive any discount, or may receive a small discount if additional funds become available or if other schools cancel.

Once you know the discount you will receive, you can develop a fundraising plan that will achieve your goal. Please see the suggestions below and the fundraising ideas. Don't forget to include bus transportation, substitute salary if needed, and any other costs that will increase your needs beyond the fee charged by GBOS.

Since you may sign up and make your deposit up to one year in advance, you may request from the GBOS Administrative Director an estimate of the discount that may be available for your week of attendance, and use this estimate for planning purposes. However, GBOS cannot guarantee any estimate of discount.

You will not receive any funds directly from GBOS, rather, the fee charged to you will be reduced. If you attend with fewer students than you estimated when you signed up, your invoice will be adjusted to the number actually attending, and your discount will therefore be less. Please contact the GBOS Administrative Director with changes in the number of students attending, as this helps us accurately plan for staffing and food.

Washoe teachers, if you have homeless or transitional students, please contact Mary Horner in the WCSD Even Start Migrant Center, mhorner@washoe.k12.nv.us to ask about financial assistance targeted at the students.

For more information about the discount policy, or to discuss details for your school, please contact us.

Suggestions for Allocating the Discount

GBOS intends that you allocate the discount received in a way that fits the needs of your school and your students, however, we do offer the following suggestions for your consideration:

  1. Your principal has information about free and reduced students in your school which is not available to the teachers. Therefore it is important that you involve your principal in allocating the discount so that assistance may be directed to the students and families that have the greatest need.
  2. Ask your principal for full funding from the school budget. Go for it! There is nothing in school, district, state or federal policy that prevents school funds for being used for students to attend residential outdoor school.
  3. Identify special funding sources available through your school that may help disadvantaged students attend.
  4. Develop a fund raising plan. We suggest fund raising activities that are appropriate for your school and community setting, that do not unnecessarily favor some students over others. GBOS has some fundraising ideas to share.
  5. Seek grant funding from sources outside your school. Several suggestions are available from GBOS.
  6. Send a letter home asking for contributions needed to raise the fees, specifying an amount remaining after you have budgeted the four sources above. We suggest wording that families who can afford more, contribute more, so as to assist other students. We suggest making it clear that no student will be refused the right/privilege of attending outdoor school due to the income level or other special situation of their family.