DENVER—With budget cuts looming, Colorado’s three largest school districts have been spending on food, travel and other discretionary expenses with little oversight.
The Denver Post analyzed school spending in Jefferson and Douglas counties from July 2009 to mid-February of this year, and in Denver during 2009. It found the districts spent a total of about $280,000 on items like Starbucks, sandwiches and receptions. Districts have also been spending thousands to send staffers to conferences in spots like Las Vegas.
Jefferson County spent $580,000 on outside food and drink over the last eight months, while Denver spent $487,000 in 2009. Douglas County has $1.7 million budgeted for food, travel and entrance fees.
Denver’s Montebello High School spent $4,113 for doughnuts and burritos for state and parent meetings. Jefferson County is spending $8,459 to send six staff members to an Alliance software users conference in San Antonio.
Jefferson County reported spending $3,598 for 80 staffers from two Montessori schools to go on a retreat at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.
Officials defend most of the spending, saying conferences are usually held out of state and providing food helps attract parents to after-school events.
However, after the newspaper raised questions about Denver’s spending, officials told principals and staff there Friday to buy food only for community meetings, not internal staff meetings. They also asked staffers to participate in “virtual conferences” rather than travel to out-of-state meetings.
Douglas County’s interim superintendent, Steve Herzog, told staff in September not to spend any more money on out-of-state professional development and only spend minimal amounts on food. Staffers there spent $1,150 on Starbucks, including coffee for staff-training sessions and a crisis team dealing with a student’s death.
“You are looking at an organization with a half-billion-dollar budget, 6,000 employees serving a large community of students,” district spokeswoman Susan Meek said.
Districts are cutting their budgets for next year and laying off teachers because of an expected 6 to 8 percent drop in state funding.
Jefferson County is planning to cut at least $20 million, while Denver plans to cut at least $30 million. Douglas County expects $31 million in cuts.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
