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City school board approves travel expenses
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Two city school-board members argued that two other members’ traveling to conferences at school district expense looks bad to the public.
Other members, though, believe the sessions yield valuable information for the school system and approved the measure.
The requests were for Brenda Kimble, board vice president, to travel April 5-7 to New Orleans for the National School Boards Association’s 74th Annual Conference for $2,016 including registration, luncheon/workshop, hotel and airfare; and board member Jerome Williams to attend A Dream Deferred: The Future of African American Education April 23-25 in Atlanta.
The cost of that Atlanta conference is about $1,094 including registration and hotel.
Kimble, Williams and members Jacqueline Adair, Marcia Haire-Ellis and Ronald Shadd voted in favor of the measure with board President Richard Atkinson and Michael Murphy opposed.
Shadd said Kimble is seeking a seat on the Council of Urban Boards of Education at the national conference and if she is selected, her expenses will be reimbursed.
“The knowledge that can be gained from this will be used to lead us to excellence,” he said.
Murphy said with the district’s financial difficulties, the public is holding such expenses up to more scrutiny.
“I think it’s a bad time for travel,” he said.
Kimble said that whenever she’s traveled for the school district, she’s gone for legitimate purposes.
“I went to every session they had,” she said.
Williams said that when he’s attended conferences for work, they’ve allowed him to become better at his jobs.
“It’s networking,” Williams said.
Adair said the Council on Urban Boards of Education deals with urban school district issues, primarily districts of African-American students and the best ways to educate them.
Atkinson said that even if no one attends the conference, the district is a member of the National School Boards Association and can obtain the literature distributed there. When things in the district improve, travel to such gatherings could resume.
“Perception is reality,” he said. “If people perceive money is being foolishly spent, that’s the reality.”
Shadd disagreed.
“I do not believe the travel of one individual, especially when they’re going to better our schools, hinders our agenda,” he said.
Treasurer James Reinhard said the two trips are within the district’s budget for board member travel.
The board also approved hiring architect Paul J. Ricciuti for a feasibility study, not to exceed $26,400, for relocating the board of education offices to school buildings.