York school board spends on San Diego trip
By NICHOLE DOBO
[York] Daily Record/Sunday News
Four York City School Board members spent about $2,000, mostly on food and cabs, at a seminar in California last month -- and that sum does not include air fare, hotels, conference fees and a fifth board member's expenses.
The trip was to the annual National School Board Association conference in San Diego. School boards from across the country attend the conference to learn more about their jobs and education issues.
Costs for four city school board members' expenses are slated for a vote at Wednesday's regular school board meeting.
Overall, those four spent $561.60 in taxi fare and $694.78 on food during a five-day stay in San Diego.
Board member Barbara Krier did not question the fact that board members attended the conference but said she plans to examine the receipts submitted for reimbursement before voting on them. She said she plans to ask the district and its business manager what they did to verify that the expenses were all related to the conference.
"I will be questioning the expenses for all of the board members who attended," she said in an e-mail.
The city school district struggles with its budget because of a weak tax base. But the conference was a good use of taxpayer money, said four board members who went. There were conferences on urban education issues and motivational speakers. Board members Beverly Atwater, Tom Foust, James H. Morgan, Hiawatha Powell, and Elmira Sexton attended.
"It was an excellent conference," Morgan said..
Powell said the conference was a good place to learn about urban school districts that have succeeded academically. However, he wonders why the board has not gotten together with the administration to share what they learned.
"It would be more proactive if we came together and said, 'How can we implement these ideas?'" he said.
Taxi fare
Powell spent the most on taxi cab rides of all the board members. He submitted receipts for $285.80 in cab fare for eight trips.
Atwater spent $140 for five cab rides and one carriage ride, Morgan spent $95.80 for five cab rides, and Foust spent $55 for five cab rides.
Based on cab fare rates posted on the city of San Diego's Web site, and not taking tips into account, Powell rode in a taxi about 100 miles. He had, by far, the most costly rides, with three $50 trips and one $65 trip.
He also incurred a $20 parking fee while in San Diego. A handwritten note from the district's business office on Powell's expense form reads, "Per H.P., received a ride back from the zoo & the parking was for the person who drove."
Powell said he took the cabs to restaurants. He stayed in a hotel across the street from the center where the conference was taking place. A spokeswoman for the San Diego travel bureau said his hotel was the closest hotel to the conference center.
Powell said he had more than other board members because he sometimes shared cabs with Atwater, who stayed in the same hotel, and Morgan, he said. Powell said he does not believe his taxi fare was an unreasonable expense, saying he was in an unfamiliar city.
"Everything in San Diego was expensive," he said.
Food
Receipts show Powell ordered room service once: $52.72 for breakfast. Powell also opted to dine in the cities of La Jolla, Calif., and Spring Valley, Calif., once each. Each is more than 25 miles round-trip outside San Diego. His most expensive meal was for $75 and included shrimp cocktail, calamari, a turkey club and a "chef tasting."
Powell said he selected restaurants based on recommendations of locals.
Morgan spent the most on food with $303.53, or about $60 a day.
He had one room service charge for $48 in pizza and side dishes delivered to his room. That was his most expensive meal. All of his meals were at restaurants in San Diego or airports.
Atwater did not spend any money on room service. All of her meals were in San Diego or the airport. Her most expensive meal was for a $20 buffet.
Foust did not submit receipts for any food costs.
Mileage
Board members were also reimbursed for mileage based on how far they drove to the airport. They selected which airport and day they wanted to leave from, according to e-mail correspondence obtained through a Right to Know request.
Foust flew out of Harrisburg, charging 65 miles driven and $1.90 in tolls.
Atwater flew out of Baltimore, charging 132 miles driven.
Powell flew out Washington, D.C., and charged for 212 miles driven to the airport.
Morgan flew out of Baltimore, charging for 136 miles driven.
Here's the breakdown of four York City school board members' expenses at a national convention in San Diego in April, according to receipts for the expenditures obtained through a Right to Know request. The district reimburses expenses and the board then votes on whether to approve the expenses. That vote is scheduled for Wednesday:
--- Hiawatha Powell was reimbursed $728.08 for meals, mileage, parking and baggage at the airport, according to those records.
--- James H. Morgan spent $563.56 for food, taxi fare, mileage, books and parking.
--- Beverly Atwater spent $463.17 for food, a carriage ride, taxi fare, mileage and baggage handing at the airport.
--- Tom Foust spent $244.63 for taxi fare, parking, tolls, baggage at the airport and mileage. He was not reimbursed for any food costs.
Elmira Sexton also went on the trip, but her expenditures have not yet been submitted to the business department for review. Sexton said she is not sure how much her receipts total.
The federal government sets per diem rates for cities across the nation. These are the maximum allowed expenses that federal workers can spend while traveling for work.
Costs vary by city. In San Diego, the rate is $64 per day for meals and incidentals, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. The York City school district uses the GSA's per diem rate.
The York City School District implemented a policy a few years ago that requires board members to pay for their expenses and then submit receipts for reimbursement.
York City School District board member James H. Morgan said he has suggested that the district issue board members credit cards for trips. The district would only be responsible for a set amount of money per day, and board members would be responsible for bills that exceeded that rate, he said.
[York] Daily Record/Sunday News
Four York City School Board members spent about $2,000, mostly on food and cabs, at a seminar in California last month -- and that sum does not include air fare, hotels, conference fees and a fifth board member's expenses.
The trip was to the annual National School Board Association conference in San Diego. School boards from across the country attend the conference to learn more about their jobs and education issues.
Costs for four city school board members' expenses are slated for a vote at Wednesday's regular school board meeting.
Overall, those four spent $561.60 in taxi fare and $694.78 on food during a five-day stay in San Diego.
Board member Barbara Krier did not question the fact that board members attended the conference but said she plans to examine the receipts submitted for reimbursement before voting on them. She said she plans to ask the district and its business manager what they did to verify that the expenses were all related to the conference.
"I will be questioning the expenses for all of the board members who attended," she said in an e-mail.
The city school district struggles with its budget because of a weak tax base. But the conference was a good use of taxpayer money, said four board members who went. There were conferences on urban education issues and motivational speakers. Board members Beverly Atwater, Tom Foust, James H. Morgan, Hiawatha Powell, and Elmira Sexton attended.
"It was an excellent conference," Morgan said..
Powell said the conference was a good place to learn about urban school districts that have succeeded academically. However, he wonders why the board has not gotten together with the administration to share what they learned.
"It would be more proactive if we came together and said, 'How can we implement these ideas?'" he said.
Taxi fare
Powell spent the most on taxi cab rides of all the board members. He submitted receipts for $285.80 in cab fare for eight trips.
Atwater spent $140 for five cab rides and one carriage ride, Morgan spent $95.80 for five cab rides, and Foust spent $55 for five cab rides.
Based on cab fare rates posted on the city of San Diego's Web site, and not taking tips into account, Powell rode in a taxi about 100 miles. He had, by far, the most costly rides, with three $50 trips and one $65 trip.
He also incurred a $20 parking fee while in San Diego. A handwritten note from the district's business office on Powell's expense form reads, "Per H.P., received a ride back from the zoo & the parking was for the person who drove."
Powell said he took the cabs to restaurants. He stayed in a hotel across the street from the center where the conference was taking place. A spokeswoman for the San Diego travel bureau said his hotel was the closest hotel to the conference center.
Powell said he had more than other board members because he sometimes shared cabs with Atwater, who stayed in the same hotel, and Morgan, he said. Powell said he does not believe his taxi fare was an unreasonable expense, saying he was in an unfamiliar city.
"Everything in San Diego was expensive," he said.
Food
Receipts show Powell ordered room service once: $52.72 for breakfast. Powell also opted to dine in the cities of La Jolla, Calif., and Spring Valley, Calif., once each. Each is more than 25 miles round-trip outside San Diego. His most expensive meal was for $75 and included shrimp cocktail, calamari, a turkey club and a "chef tasting."
Powell said he selected restaurants based on recommendations of locals.
Morgan spent the most on food with $303.53, or about $60 a day.
He had one room service charge for $48 in pizza and side dishes delivered to his room. That was his most expensive meal. All of his meals were at restaurants in San Diego or airports.
Atwater did not spend any money on room service. All of her meals were in San Diego or the airport. Her most expensive meal was for a $20 buffet.
Foust did not submit receipts for any food costs.
Mileage
Board members were also reimbursed for mileage based on how far they drove to the airport. They selected which airport and day they wanted to leave from, according to e-mail correspondence obtained through a Right to Know request.
Foust flew out of Harrisburg, charging 65 miles driven and $1.90 in tolls.
Atwater flew out of Baltimore, charging 132 miles driven.
Powell flew out Washington, D.C., and charged for 212 miles driven to the airport.
Morgan flew out of Baltimore, charging for 136 miles driven.
WHAT THEY SPENT
Here's the breakdown of four York City school board members' expenses at a national convention in San Diego in April, according to receipts for the expenditures obtained through a Right to Know request. The district reimburses expenses and the board then votes on whether to approve the expenses. That vote is scheduled for Wednesday:
--- Hiawatha Powell was reimbursed $728.08 for meals, mileage, parking and baggage at the airport, according to those records.
--- James H. Morgan spent $563.56 for food, taxi fare, mileage, books and parking.
--- Beverly Atwater spent $463.17 for food, a carriage ride, taxi fare, mileage and baggage handing at the airport.
--- Tom Foust spent $244.63 for taxi fare, parking, tolls, baggage at the airport and mileage. He was not reimbursed for any food costs.
Elmira Sexton also went on the trip, but her expenditures have not yet been submitted to the business department for review. Sexton said she is not sure how much her receipts total.
PAYING EXPENSES
The federal government sets per diem rates for cities across the nation. These are the maximum allowed expenses that federal workers can spend while traveling for work.
Costs vary by city. In San Diego, the rate is $64 per day for meals and incidentals, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. The York City school district uses the GSA's per diem rate.
The York City School District implemented a policy a few years ago that requires board members to pay for their expenses and then submit receipts for reimbursement.
York City School District board member James H. Morgan said he has suggested that the district issue board members credit cards for trips. The district would only be responsible for a set amount of money per day, and board members would be responsible for bills that exceeded that rate, he said.
