NAACP questions nearly $100,000 San Diego trip for Columbus school officials

Columbus City Schools approved and budgeted close to $100,000 for 27 people — including Superintendent Angela Chapman, school board President Jennifer Adair and two other board members — to attend an October conference in San Diego.

That's a very small amount compared to the district's $906 million general fund for 2023-2024, and $1.6 billion overall.

But Nana Watson, president of the NAACP Columbus branch, which opposed the district's successful 7.7-mill levy on the Nov. 7 general election ballot, still wonders about the value of such a trip. Watson filed a public records request looking for details of the trip before the election. The Dispatch filed a public records request on Oct. 9.

"The NAACP wants to know how this conference aligns to the mission of the district," Watson said.

The Council of the Great City Schools conference was held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront from Oct. 25-29, less than two weeks before voters approved the 7.7-mill levy that will raise close to $100 million a year for the schools.

According to records the school district provided on Nov. 29, Columbus City Schools budgeted $93,870 for the trip. The spreadsheet listed all the attendees and amount budgeted for each, but did not provide a breakdown on specific items the money paid for such as airfare, hotel rooms or meals.

As of Nov. 29, expenses totaling $56,018 had been submitted.

"Certainly we believe people need to attend professional development conferences," Watson said, but added that sending 27 people is a lot.

"The district needs to share with this community how this is going to help the district," Watson said.

In addition to Chapman and Adair, school board members Michael Cole and Ramona Reyes attended, as did Cole's wife Lee Cole, the district's executive director of partnerships and community engagement; facilities director Jeffrey Roe; general counsel James A. Barnes; and 20 others.

Twenty-two of the 27, including Chapman and Adair, were selected to present during the conference.

The district posted a report Nov. 8 about the trip on its website.

Watson wants to know why the district didn't release a statement and information about the October trip until after the Nov. 7 vote.

"You go in October, we ask for the information, you hold it until after the election," Watson said.

"It’s sneaky," she said.

Asked about why the report about the trip wasn't posted until the day after the vote, Columbus schools spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant said in an email: "The conference took place October 25 – 29. As we do with all content creation, we posted a news article and included it as part of our content schedule."

Asked why it was necessary to send 27 people and budget close to $100,000 for the trip, Bryant said in an email: "As active Council of the Great City Schools members, we place importance on ongoing professional development and the exchange of ideas with peer districts. The annual conference provides a unique platform for our team to connect with influential leaders driving positive transformations in school systems nationwide. Notably, the District, representing urban districts such as Cincinnati Public Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Dayton Public Schools, and Toledo Public Schools, received invitations to present and share our best practices and insights."

Bryant said Superintendent Chapman was out of the district last week and unavailable for comment.

The Dispatch also left phone messages for Adair, Cole and Reyes.

In that Nov. 8 report, Chapman is quoted as saying: "As a member of the Council of the Great City Schools, one of the benefits is participating in the annual conference, which provides our team members with opportunities to connect with and learn from leaders who are actively driving positive change in school systems across the nation; this was a great opportunity for our team to share best practices, foster connections with leaders from urban districts, and learn from our peers nationwide."

Adair is quoted as saying: "It was my honor to present on behalf of our district, alongside Superintendent Chapman and her administrative team, to discuss 'Aligning District Leadership & Central Office to Prioritize Student Outcomes Focused Governance.' Strong governance means our administration understands the expectations of the Board and Community, and there is transparent accountability. We must prioritize student outcomes by improving student experience and addressing systemic barriers to student success."

Cole said: “Participating in the 67th Annual Fall Conference of the Council of the Great City Schools was a significant opportunity for us to showcase the District's strengths, our strong community engagement, and the unique partnerships that enrich student pathways toward promising careers and higher education.”

The school district's Nov. 8 report on the trip said that the five-day conference "provided a platform for school superintendents, board members, senior administrators, school-based educators, and college deans of education to discuss, exchange ideas, and showcase best practices to improve teaching and learning within urban school districts."

The Dispatch on Friday asked the school district if officials took the trip to the same conference in 2022.

"You can submit a records request for any records pertaining to last year. I don’t have that information," Bryant wrote back.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus schools approved close to $100,000 for San Diego conference