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Hillsborough School Board Halts Travel As It Studies Costs

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By MARILYN BROWN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2008

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County School Board imposed a travel moratorium on itself Tuesday until it can set up both guidelines and a travel budget.

The board has neither, with its seven members collectively spending about $40,000 a year on travel for each of the past two years.

"We have people who are spending more than their fair share," Chairwoman Jennifer Faliero told fellow board members in pushing for the moratorium. Later she confirmed she was referring to member Susan Valdes' expenses.

Valdes spent $13,513 in 2006-07 and $10,503 in 2007-08 on travel, school district records show. Other board members spent about $1,500 to $7,500 each during those years.

Faliero said she saw the disparity in the travel records and thought board members should share some of the pain of budget cuts.

"We're either in a crisis or we're not," Faliero told the board, noting that school lunch prices are going up and employees are being asked to do more.

Some of expenses are incurred when board members travel to national conferences for education organizations.

"We provide a lot of leadership to the state, and in some cases the nation," said member Jack Lamb, who serves on a number of professional boards. But he added, "I share your passion" to cut back."

As the board for the nation's eighth-largest school district, Hillsborough could set an example by saying, "We can no longer afford to be at your table," Faliero said.

She bristled when members balked at voting for a policy, saying they could just agree to curb travel spending, as they had done in the past.

"I no longer believe we can do anything on gentlemen's agreement with this particular board," she said.

In the end, the six board members present voted for the moratorium and gave Lamb and board member Candy Olson instructions to draft guidelines within the next two weeks. April Griffin was absent.

Only tickets or hotel rooms already purchased will be allowed, board members agreed. Lamb said he has trips to Naples, Fla., and New Orleans within the week; Olson has a trip to Pittsburgh.

Valdes said after the meeting that she has plane tickets for a September trip to a conference in Las Vegas but did not know whether the hotel has been reserved.

Valdes said she has cut back her spending after earlier criticism. As a rookie board member, she said, she had been encouraged by other members to travel to gain experience.

"We have board members who have no clue what is going on in education because they don't go anywhere," she said. "I've been able to bring programs to the district." An example she gave is her involvement in bringing a dual-language program to Alexander Elementary.

In other action, the board approved requiring students to keep cell phones and other electronic devices turned off and out of sight or they will be confiscated. The change, which starts with the school year on Aug. 18, will be imposed from the first to the last bell. Each school will determine punishment and procedures to return phones.

New administrative appointments approved as of July 27 are: Shana Tirado, assistant principal at Cahoon Elementary, becomes supervisor of elementary science; Mellissa Alonso, assistant principal at Burney Elementary, becomes supervisor of elementary reading, Reading First; Fredda Johnson, assistant principal at Randall Middle becomes principal; Dave Burgess, principal at Poinciana Elementary in Naples, becomes principal at Roland Park K-8 School; and James Rich, community school administrator at Brandon Adult and Community School, becomes principal at Erwin Technical Center.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069 or mbrown@tampatrib.com.

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