The city goes to great lengths to make the boardwalk area safe. Sure you might see some homeless people or drunks, but that happens everywhere. Atlantic City would be fun for a field trip, there is plenty to do. You could even get the kids to clean the beach. I did a field trip with my high school students to Sandy Hook a few years back, we cleaned the beach and had a great time. The park rangers helped us with garbage bags etc and had a short program for the kids. Maybe Atlantic City has something like that too.

The Steel Pier rides open April 8. Many of the boardwalk shops are already open now, especially on the weekends. The Showboat is now an arcade.