Con-fer-ence: An excuse to spend lavishly?

• Reprints

Kathy Quilty, a District 230 board member, was one of the most frugal board members in the Southland. She spent only $22.30 for her trip to the Tri-Conference in Chicago, including $4.30 on a Metra ticket and $18 on cab fare. Quilty said she knows the money belongs to taxpayers.

Southland school administrators and board members - many who are running financially strapped districts - dropped a bundle on meals, hotels and travel to an annual fall conference they insist makes them better leaders.

Their big destination: downtown Chicago.

School officials across the Southland submitted receipts for thousands of dollars worth of valet parking, restaurant meals and late-night room service during conferences over the past eight months, a review of expense records by the SouthtownStar found.

The lavish spending habits were uncovered as part of the SouthtownStar's week-long project in honor of Sunshine Week, an initiative by media outlets throughout the country to promote government transparency.

We also wanted to see how, in a time of severe financial problems throughout the state and country, officials are spending taxpayers' money. The answer: not always frugally.

Rich Township High School District 227 alone spent more than $5,000 to attend November's statewide Tri-Conference gathering in Chicago that combines conferences for three main school board associations into a three-day weekend.

The district paid $3,200 for 17 rooms over three nights. Board member Alyssa Hernandez splurged twice on late-night dining, $64 one night and $77 the next, at the Hyatt Hotel. She and Supt. Howard Hunigan each had a valet park a car three times at $33 a pop. Board member Emmanuel Imoukheude parked his twice. And board president Sonya Norwood also charged two room service meals - about $110 - to the district.

Bloom Township High School District 206 officials spent more than $5,100 in three days, booking hotel rooms at the Palmer House Hilton and eating steak filets, shrimp and escargot at the swanky Rosebud restaurant.

Supt. Glen Giannetti, the state's ninth-highest-paid school chief, stayed at the Omni Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. Along with two nights of $49-a-night valet parking, he ordered a movie ($15.67) took something from the honor bar ($20.07) and even made a land-line phone call ($.75).

And the five district participants ordered breakfast to his room Nov. 22, at a total cost of $105.92.

'Money to burn'

Such spending comes at a time when school districts across the state are slashing spending, cutting back programs for children and considering teacher layoffs. Gov. Pat Quinn has said that in the face of a $13 billion state budget deficit next year, Illinois needs to cut $1.3 billion in education funding or raise the state's income tax by 33 percent.

Jim Tobin, president of National Taxpayers United Illinois, said exorbitant charges on school board credit cards only prove his point that schools have "money to burn."

"School board members shouldn't be staying overnight at hotels in Chicago," Tobin said. "They shouldn't be squandering our tax dollars. They should pay out of pocket and be reimbursed for mileage."

Mark Sheahan, District 206's assistant superintendent, said the district policy boils down to four words: "No alcohol. Be reasonable."

The district has no set per diem for meals nor a rule against hotel extras such as minibar snacks or movies, Sheahan said. And spouses may attend dinner if pre-approved by the board and superintendent, he said.

The expenses are a recognition of the time the board members and administrators put in to attend the conferences.

"They are giving up their weekend," Sheahan said.

Many districts justified staying in hotels so close to home because morning sessions started early and evening events often ran late.

"I think board members and administrators deserve to be that close" to the conference location, Reavis High School District 220 Supt. Daniel Riordan said. "As early as some of these sessions are, it can be asking a lot to have them drive from their homes."

Many district leaders pointed out school board members don't get paid.

"It always was their tradition to do it," said Supt. Beth Hart, of Evergreen Park High School District 231. "They are volunteers; it's the only expense they've incurred."

Country Club Hills School District 160 board member Jacqueline Doss said she stayed downtown - at a total cost to taxpayers of $183.72, including $25 in tips for bellmen and doormen - for convenience.

"Once I get down there, I try to stay because I can't get back and forth to a place," she said. "Going downtown is horrible. Parking is horrible."

Doss said she roomed with another board member one night of the conference. The other nights she said she got a less expensive room rate because she used a AAA discount card.

Riordan, the Reavis official, said he keeps hotel expenses down by sharing with his brother - Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 Supt. Mike Riordan.

"Oak Lawn paid for the room in Springfield. Reavis paid for the room at the Tri-Conference," Daniel Riordan said.

Hart and four District 231 board members went to the conference, less than a 20-mile drive from their district. While Hart did not stay downtown during the 2008 conference, she and four board members did in 2009.

She has only traveled out of town on school business to Springfield, she said, adding, "There are a ton of national conferences it would be exciting to go to, but these are different times."

In light of grim budget predictions coming from Quinn, Hunigan, Hart and other officials say they may rethink their policies on conference spending.

"In the state of Illinois, every aspect of schooling has to be looked at," Hunigan said. "What we're hearing from our governor, there may not be any travel, period."

None of District 160's leaders will stay in Chicago for a conference this spring because they already attended another conference in Indianapolis in November, Supt. Earline Scott said.

"Everyone is going to commute," she said.

Some Lockport High School District 205 attendees commuted, and some got rooms. Commuting cost about $350 total for board members John Lukasik and Angela Kameley and district secretary Gloria Mickulas. The other three board members, who stayed at the Palmer House, paid $51 each per night in parking while the administrators who stayed at the Swissotel paid $52 each per night in parking.

The school board will soon abide by a new policy that requires commuting for any conference less than 40 miles away, spokeswoman Kim Brehm said. Consolidated High School District 230 bans hotel stays for trips under 50 miles from the district, spokeswoman Carla Erdey said. Hers appears to be the only Southland district with such a policy in place.

Face of frugality

Tri-Conference workshops and sessions were mainly held at the Hyatt and Sheraton hotels, a quick and inexpensive cab ride from any of the downtown Metra train stations.

Kathy Quilty, a District 230 board member, was one of the most frugal board members. She spent $22.30 for her trip to the Tri-Conference, including $4.30 on a Metra ticket and $18 on cab fare.

Quilty said she knows the money belongs to taxpayers.

"I wouldn't want somebody spending my money like that," Quilty said. "We've got to watch our money, especially with the way the state is now."

The valet parking and extravagant dinners going on all around her weren't worth it, she said.

"I would never want someone saying, 'Well, why did you do that?'"

Dining in style

Free breakfast was included with some conference sessions and free lunch also was provided. Free dinners - sponsored by vendors - were even available at fancy restaurants such as the Chicago Firehouse.

That didn't stop District 227's Norwood from spending $61.78 on breakfast room service one morning and about $50 on in-room dinner the next night.

And Hunigan spent $59 on lunch in a hotel restaurant.

Mokena School District 159 dropped $728.84 at Buca Di Beppo for 11 school board members and other administrators - about $66 per person.

Bloom Township District 206 officials dined at Le Petit Paris one night, spending an average of $86 per person, The next night some of them spent an average of $71 at Rosebud another night while the rest spent a total of $377 on dinner at Coco Pazzo.

None of the districts polled claim they pay for alcohol. But few districts require detailed, itemized receipts.

District 160's Doss chalked up her $89 meal at Lawry's to inexperience. Still, she didn't exceed her $95 per diem.

"This is my first year," Doss said. "I didn't know a lot. I followed."

Contributing: Maura Possley, Amy Lee, Shenequa A. Golding and Joe Biesk

Ilandus Hampton: Czar of school district spending

Since school started last fall, taxpayers in Rich Township High School District 227 bought Ilandus Hampton four nights in swanky Chicago hotels and two king-size bags of potato chips.

You paid for the District 227 assistant superintendent to drive downtown, park his car in the Loop to the tune of $36 to $52 a night then ride around in cabs (two, at $15 each) between the Sheraton hotel and the posh W Hotel five blocks away, according to receipts he submitted.

That's $3,894 since July 1, 2009, and all in addition to the $151,000 salary Hampton earns in District 227, where 59 percent of the kids qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Hampton said his expenses look high - especially on receipts like a single room-service breakfast for $75 signed by a Ms. Hampton - because his secretary submitted his paperwork incorrectly. She sought reimbursement for entire meals, requiring him to write checks back to the district for meal overages and food eaten by a nondistrict companion, even though he said he initially paid with his credit card. He insisted he stayed under a recommended $75 daily meal limit.

According to copies of Hampton's checks, he repaid the district $222.48 from the November Tri-Conference, and $186 from the October conference for the American School Board Association, a total he said includes a $65 golf shirt he bought from a professional organization.

His receipt from the Chicago Chop House for $256 on one of the conference's nights isn't itemized. Nothing indicates who, besides Hampton, was there or what was served. District policy forbids treating family members or paying for alcohol.

During the ASBO conference the month before, Hampton paid $97.63 at Nick's Fishmarket for himself and an unnamed guest, $75.33 in room service for two at the Swissotel and $40.79 for a meal at a restaurant on Washington Street. That receipt was illegible.

Then he billed taxpayers for $4.68 in snacks - one king-size bag Lays potato chips, one king-size bag of Ruffles potato chips.

Here is a snapshot of expenses submitted by Ilandus Hampton, assistant superintendent for finance and operations at Rich

Township School District 227

Date Amount Expense Notes

10/6/2009 $64.99 Golf shirt from Illinois Association of School Boards

10/23/2009 $720.00 Association of School Business Officials conference registration in Chicago

10/23/2009 $97.63 Nick's Fishmarket (2 guests) in Chicago $37 sea bass plus another entree

10/23/2009 $4.68 Snacks, Lays, Ruffles in Chicago

10/23/2009 $294.28 Swissotel Chicago room

10/23/2009 $36.00 Hyatt Regency Chicago - parking Two blocks away from the Swissotel

10/24/2009 $40.79 Meals at restaurant on Washington St. in Chicago Receipt illegible

10/24/2009 $75.33 Swissotel Chicago - room service (2 guests) in Chicago Appears to be signed for by Mrs. Hampton

10/24/2009 $294.28 Swissotel Chicago room

10/24/2009 $52.00 Swissotel Chicago - parking

10/24/2009 $10.00 Cab fare, evening Destination not listed

10/24/2009 $33.00 Mileage both ways @ 30 miles between Chicago & District

10/25/2009 $3.00 Parking meter in Chicago Destination unclear

10/28/2009 ($186.00) Hampton wrote a check to District 227: "Reimbursement of IASBO"

11/12/2009$624.00 American Association of School Administrators fees: registration, PO fee

11/20/2009 $265.00 Onsite registration for IASB-ASAS-IASBO Conference in Chicago

11/20/2009 $264.27 Sheraton Chicago Walk-up rate, king. Others at same conference paid $183 special conference rate

11/20/2009 $49.00 Sheraton Chicago - parking

11/20/2009 $15.00 Cab fare From Sheraton to W Hotel Five blocks away, motive unclear

11/20/2009 $15.00 Cab fare From W Hotel to Sheraton hotelFive blocks away, motive unclear

11/20/2009 $33.00 Mileage both ways @ 30 miles between Chicago and District

11/21/2009 $264.27 Sheraton Chicago Walkup room, king

Date unclear $256.27 Chicago Chop House Illegible, unitemized. During IASB-ASAS-IASBO Conference in Chicago

Date unclear $47.91 Room service? Meals.Two entrees listed on illegible receipt. During IASB-ASAS-IASBO Conference in Chicgao.

Date unclear $31.26 Meal Receipt illegible. During IASB-ASAS-IASBO Conference in Chicago.

12/1/2009 ($228.48) Hampton wrote a check to District 227: "Reimbursement of Tri-Conference"

1/20/2010 $303.40 U.S. Airways to Phoenix for February conference