Country Club Hills District 160 Board President Sharon Mack said finding out-of-control travel spending and an unauthorized vehicle on her return to the board prompted her to use a recent meeting to question administrative staff and report preliminary investigation findings.
“There are many charges I have questions and concerns about,” Mack said regarding an American Express credit card used for many travel purchases between January 2023 and June of this year.
She said over that 3 1/2 year span, about $867,000 was spent via the credit card, with about $190,000 going toward hotel stays and $63,000 for flights. Another $328,000 was spent on limousine travel.
While the Daily Southtown previously reported the district spending more than $25,000 for board members to attend eight conferences in 2024, Mack said hired administrative staff were also spending taxpayer dollars on travel.
“I think it’s important for the public to know, I think it’s important for everyone to know, that these charges were not only accumulated by board members,” Mack said before calling on several district staff members to confirm out-of-state conferences they attended, including one at a Disneyland resort.
Mack said the board is discussing ways to limit travel expenses while ensuring opportunities for district officials to continue learning at conferences.
District parent Sequoia Williams, who has been outspoken in her advocacy for better student resources, said hearing how the district was contributing toward bills for a single credit card was disheartening.
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“We know what some of the numbers looked like, but just hearing her share it out loud again was mind-blowing,” Williams said.
Travel expense reports from 2024 show board members regularly used limousine services to go to and from the airport when traveling on the district’s dime, and have indulged in steak dinners sometimes for $300 a person on one meal.
In February 2024, board members and the superintendent spent $3,804 on O’Hare limousine rides to and from the airport, returning from a conference in Washington, D.C. and departing for another in San Diego, records show. Limousine rides ranged from $348 to $438 each, and receipts show board members took individual vehicles, with pickups and drop-offs at their respective homes.
“We wouldn’t question the funds if the children were receiving the services they need,” Williams said about overall spending within the district.
Almost 70% of students within the district are low income, with parents including Williams reporting the schools are in disrepair, busing fails to meet students’ needs, academic performance is declining and students are provided outdated technology.