Click ▲ to see larger image
DailyKenn.com | AbateHate.com | New Facebook Group
Long gone are the school cookie sales to fund school outings.
Reports say that Chicago Public Schools employees spent $23.6 million of tax dollars on lavish Vegas vacations at 5-star hotels, African safaris and $5000 trips to Hawaii.
Taxpayers paid for it!
A new report shows that money was spent on hotel rooms - some rooms that cost $945 per night! Taxpayer money was also spent on anniversary trips to Las Vegas, African safaris and nearly $5,000 for trips to Hawaii. Grand total: $23.6 million in six years. All at taxpayer expense. All by Chicago Public Schools!
What's going on?
Are government school teacher clueless when it comes to financial fiduciary spending? Do they just not care? Maybe I misunderstood the news stories.
So, I asked Grok.com to do a fact check. Here are the results:
Core Total and Timeframe
Claim: $23.6 million spent over six years.
Verdict: True, per OIG estimates.
Details: The OIG report estimates CPS spent approximately $23.6 million on overnight travel-related expenses (including airfare, lodging, meals, and reimbursements) from FY 2019 to FY 2024. This includes both staff professional development and student trips. Spending surged post-pandemic: from $3.6 million in FY 2019 to $7.7 million in FY 2024, with $14.5 million in FY 2023–2024 alone—much of it enabled by $2.8 billion in federal COVID relief funds. The report notes lax oversight, deficient record-keeping across seven databases, and no consistent cost-benefit analysis for trips.
Lavish Vegas Vacations at 5-Star Hotels ($945/Night Rooms)
Claim: Employees spent on lavish Vegas vacations at 5-star hotels, with rooms costing $945 per night.
Verdict: True, with examples matching closely.
Details: Over 600 CPS staff from 140 schools/departments spent $1.5 million on seminars by a single Las Vegas-based vendor from 2022–2024. Nearly 90% stayed in 4- and 5-star Strip hotels exceeding CPS limits (e.g., over $400/night average, with some reports citing up to $945/night peaks). At least 24 flights from Chicago to Vegas cost over $1,000 round-trip. Interest "spread like wildfire," but attendance was low for virtual or Chicago-based versions of the same event (e.g., only 1 virtual attendee vs. 200+ in Vegas). The OIG called this "questionable" and "exorbitant," with some trips lacking pre-approval.
African Safaris
Claim: Taxpayer money spent on African safaris.
Verdict: True.
Details: Eight CPS schools spent $142,000+ on 15 unapproved staff trips (only 2 were pre-approved) to South Africa, Egypt, Finland, and Estonia via one vendor. The South Africa trip averaged $5,274 per person and included game-park safaris, hot-air balloon rides, camel rides, and shopping—framed as "professional development" but flagged as excessive. One planned Egypt trip (costing $20,000+) was canceled after OIG intervention, along with three others.
$5,000 Trips to Hawaii (and Anniversary Trips)
Claim: Nearly $5,000 trips to Hawaii; anniversary trips to Las Vegas.
Verdict: True for Hawaii; partially true/misleading for "anniversary trips."
Details: One teacher expensed a $4,700 seven-day stay at a Hawaiian luxury resort for a four-day professional development seminar. Other examples include a suburban spa retreat for elementary staff and limo services (not Uber) to/from airports. The "anniversary trips" phrasing isn't directly in the OIG report but aligns with personal-benefit concerns (e.g., unapproved or excessive add-ons like spa visits). The report highlights fraud risks, such as hidden vendor fees up to 20% and employees traveling on rejected requests without consequences.
Taxpayer-Funded and Overall Context
Claim: All at taxpayer expense by CPS.
Verdict: True.
Details: All spending came from CPS budgets, including taxpayer-funded COVID relief (e.g., ESSER funds). The OIG found 40% of conference travel lacked approval, with poor enforcement. In response, CPS imposed a travel freeze (except student activities), canceled unapproved trips, and is reforming policies (e.g., better vendor contracts, centralized tracking). Potential discipline for involved staff is under review. Critics note this amid CPS's $734 million budget deficit and high chronic absenteeism rates.
Key Claim Element | Supporting Evidence from OIG Report | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
$23.6M total over 6 years | Cumulative FY 2019–2024 estimate for staff/student travel | True |
Vegas 5-star hotels ($945/night) | $1.5M on 600+ staff seminars; 90% exceeded limits | True |
African safaris | $142K on unapproved South Africa trips with safaris | True |
$5K Hawaii trips | $4,700 luxury resort for one teacher | True |
Anniversary/Las Vegas personal trips | Excessive add-ons like spas/limos; unapproved personal benefits | Mostly True |
Taxpayer-funded by CPS | From district budgets, including COVID relief | True |
This spending, while often tied to "professional development," included clear abuses that the OIG deems wasteful—especially given alternatives like virtual or local events. The report urges reforms to prioritize student needs over such excesses.
|
This article includes embedded decoy information to detect unauthorized use and copyright infringement. Reproduction is permitted only verbatim and in full, with all links preserved and attribution clearly given to DailyKenn.com and AbateHate.com.
Your $8 monthly partner pledge helps us reach others & more ►
Find archived black-on-white homicide news reports here ►
200 latest news reports from 100 top conservative websites