School Employee Travel Faces Scrutiny

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- How much travel is too much? That's the question the Duval County School Board will be asked to answer next week.

Board member Stan Jordan wants to take a hard look at the $1.8 million travel budget that is proposed for the upcoming year.

What caught Jordan's attention is the amount that was spent last year just for registration to workshops and conferences.

"In this travel expense, approximately $400,000 was spent just for registration," said Jordan, who finds that amount excessive.

"Now some of that (travel) is viable and necessary. I would venture to say a lot of that travel did not have to take place," he said.

Last year the district reported spending more than $1.1 million for travel and registration expenses.

Jordan, in his agenda item, is proposing an emergency allocation for travel of $300,000. The superintendent would have approve travel requests after employees claim they need to travel.

Last week, the board voted to move forward with increasing the millage rate for schools by a quarter of a mill. That move would generate about $14 million.

If the travel budget is cut, Jordan wants the savings to go to classroom supplies and teacher activities.

The Duval County School Board will consider Jordan's push to cut travel next Tuesday, August 4.

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