Overview
- An inspector general report released Wednesday details systemic rule-breaking and costly trips, with CPS travel spending rising from $3.6 million in 2019 to $7.7 million in 2024.
- Examples include staff safaris, a hot air balloon ride and camel rides, a $4,700 luxury Hawaii stay for a four-day seminar, and student trips that far exceeded preapproved costs.
- More than 600 employees attended a Las Vegas conference series from 2022 to 2024 at a district cost above $1.5 million, with nearly 90% over hotel limits and about 40% traveling without approval.
- Travel vendors charged hidden fees of up to 20%, and one agency violated CPS ethics rules by offering free travel to a staffer; that agency is no longer working with the district.
- CPS has halted most staff travel not tied to student activities, is forming a Travel Review Committee, is rolling out system controls to flag overages, and is weighing discipline for two employees with policy changes targeted by June 2026.