Transportation for field trips and other extracurricular activities are outside the regular and special education transportation provided to schools. The HISD Transportation Department pro bono, charters its buses to schools for field trips.   Over 14,000 field trips were provided by HISD in 2011-2012 school year.

Each school principal can pay for this service out of the school's budget and/or charge a fee to parents. School principals may also contract with a local private bus company instead of the HISD Transportation Department.

The Field Trip Department within HISD only coordinates field trips for HISD Vehicles. Field trips use equipment that would otherwise sit idle during the day, allowing more efficient use of resources