ISBE Road Trips Cost Taxpayers Millions

by Kate Piercy According to the State Journal-Register, five key employees of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have combined to spend more than $300,000 on travel since fiscal year 2005. In addition, the agency has spent $1.2 million to $1.32 million on travel overall in each of those years. Apparently, a good portion of...

by Kate Piercy

According to the State Journal-Register, five key employees of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have combined to spend more than $300,000 on travel since fiscal year 2005. In addition, the agency has spent $1.2 million to $1.32 million on travel overall in each of those years.

Apparently, a good portion of the costs are coming from employees traveling to and from Chicago and Springfield. The SJ-R reviewed travel records starting in the second half of calendar year 2004 for five ISBE administrators and found the following:

• State School Superintendent Christopher Koch, 47, of Bloomington has incurred more than $42,000 in travel costs since fiscal 2005.
• Helen Henderson of Springfield, division administrator of early childhood programs, combined travel to many Illinois cities and some out-of-state conferences for a total of more than $91,000 since mid-2005.
• ISBE chief financial officer Linda Riley Mitchell of River Forest has spent more than $75,000 on travel over six years. In fiscal 2009, Mitchell’s vouchers show more than $16,800 in travel costs, not including 105 hotel stays in Springfield that were direct-billed.
• Donald Evans, human resources director for the board, has his home base in Springfield but also has a Chicago residence. His travel vouchers show more than $73,000 spent since fiscal 2005.
• Travel costs for Darren Reisberg, 35, of Chicago, the board’s general counsel and deputy superintendent, total more than $45,500 on state vouchers, a figure that doesn’t include more than 125 direct-billed hotel nights.

In order to save some taxpayer dollar on travel, perhaps the ISBE should look into utilizing the internet for meetings when possible, as mentioned in the article.

ISBE spokesman Matt Vanover said they’re “absolutely” looking at more ways to save on these costs.