Chicago Public Schools watchdog blasts ‘questionable, excessive, exorbitant’ travel expenses totaling $7.7 million in 2024

Amid growing budget deficits last year, staffers at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) indulged in “questionable, excessive, and even exorbitant” expeditions including hot air balloon rides, wildlife safaris and camel rides, a recent analysis concluded. 

“Over and over, CPS employees booked trips using CPS funds without required pre-approvals, exceeded CPS spending limits on hotel rooms and airfare, and enjoyed out-of-town activities of dubious necessity or value to students — all as CPS drew closer and closer to a budget crisis,” the district’s Office of the Inspector General reported. 

Philip Wagenknecht, the district’s inspector general, told Chalkbeat the outpouring of federal COVID-19 pandemic aid helped contribute to ballooning travel expenditures – $7.7 million in fiscal year 2024, compared to $3.6 million in 2019. 

“This is a case of systemic issues in CPS,” he said. “These abuses were widespread.” 

‘Extra dollars (to) schools so they can offer the bare minimum’ 

As previously reported by The Lion, the district revised its estimated budget deficit in July to $734 million from former projections of $529 million. 

Meanwhile, enrollment has dwindled to the point where nearly 50 CPS schools operate at less than one-third capacity – causing taxpayers to spend up to $93,000 per student in some areas. 

“CPS pumps extra dollars into these schools so they can offer the bare minimum,” noted Hal Woods, policy director with the nonprofit Kids First Chicago. 

The fiscal shortfall has caused the district to lay off “hundreds of custodians, crossing guards, cafeteria workers, and others” this summer, Chalkbeat wrote. 

Against such a backdrop, analysts deemed many of the staff trips – including such exotic locations as South Africa, Egypt and Finland – “questionable” in terms of professional development, according to Chalkbeat. 

“Hundreds of district and school staff traveled to a series of conferences in Las Vegas and other cities, in many cases racking up high hotel and airfare costs. When the organizer of these events put on similar professional development events in Chicago or virtually, few district employees attended.” 

The inspector general’s office began investigations after a complaint against an elementary school paying more than $20,000 for a staff trip to Egypt even though the expense hadn’t received district approval, Chalkbeat wrote. 

“Ultimately, the watchdog found that eight schools had spent more than $142,000 for 15 staff trips overseas, billed as school visits and professional development but packed with unscheduled time and optional activities. Thirteen had never been preapproved as required. District officials had explicitly rejected one trip, but staff went anyway.” 

Student travel also came under scrutiny, with analysts noting a 2023 college tour for 80 students costing $72,000 while “preapproved at $15,000,” according to journalists. 

“One trip to South Africa for 20 students cost more than $5,200 per person,” Chalkbeat concluded. “In some cases, travel agencies charged the district up to 20% of travel costs in hidden fees.” 

The district has formed a committee to review travel approval procedures and paused “nearly all staff travel unrelated to student activities” in response to the inspector general’s report, according to Chalkbeat. 

“This measure reflects our continued commitment to responsible financial stewardship and to prioritizing resources that directly support classrooms and students,” the district’s interim district CEO Macquline King and treasurer Walter Stock wrote in a letter to staff in October regarding the travel freeze.