A report by the inspector general for Chicago Public Schools criticizes the district for "questionable" and "exorbitant" spending on travel.
CBS News Chicago reports that the inspector general's "Examination of CPS Overnight Travel Spending" details trips that taxpayers would find "excessive." It contains numerous examples of so-called travel abuses and "broken travel expense promises."
"By our judgment, the costs were frequently excessive, and in fact they frequently exceeded CPS's spending limit," CPS Inspector General Philip Wagenknecht says. "We saw time and time again staff members were able to go on these trips without getting approval at all, without seeking approval, at times even after they sought approval and it was rejected."
Last-minute flights and limo rides charged to taxpayers were documented.
The report found the amount spent on district travel more than doubled between 2019 and 2024. Most of that $7.7 million spent in 2024 was for out-of-town employee professional development seminars or overnight student outings.
Investigators said many of the trips were booked without pre-approvals, hotels and flights exceeded cost limits, and activities booked often had minimal or "dubious" value to students.
The report said district employees sometimes demanded specific airlines so they could use their air mile points for upgrades, or insisted on flying out of Midway International Airport when O'Hare would have been cheaper.
The report says district leaders have been made aware of the findings and have already put a freeze on travel.
In response to the inspector general's report, the district said in a statement it has restrictied nearly all employee travel.
"Travel controls, transparency, and auditability will improve with the implementation of the new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) financial system that is currently underway," the district says.
