From Boston to San Diego: Here’s where FCPS employees traveled last school year.
Fayette County Public School administrators and teachers spent more than $3.6 million last school year to attend conferences and trainings across the country, according to records obtained by the Herald-Leader.
The $3.6 million is more than Kentucky’s largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, spent on travel during the 2023-2024 school year, the latest year in which complete information was available.
Jefferson County spent $2.3 million, according to district records.
Fayette County Superintendent Demetrus Liggins defended the school district’s travel expenses. Many of those trips have expanded professional development and upped student achievement, he said.
“Our investment in professional development opportunities allows FCPS to stay at the forefront of innovation and ensures our staff are the best at their craft, which ultimately benefits our students and community,” Liggins said.
What did Fayette County school administrators learn during these trips? And where did they go?
From Boston to San Diego
From 2023-2024, district teachers and administrators took more than 200 trips, records of professional leave requests approved by the Fayette County School Board show.
Many of the trips were in-state, including dozens of trips to Louisville for conferences covering technology, agricultural and school board training, an analysis of travel records shows.
Three trips were out of the country. One was a trip by soccer coaches to Manchester, England. Two trips were to recruit Spanish language teachers — one to Puerto Rico and another to Panama. The total cost of all three trips was $22,987.
Trips within the country ranged from San Diego to Boston. Some were paid for by a third party such as a conference sponsor — about $123,000 of the $4 million, according to school board records.
Not all the trips were for professional development. Some were related to travel to accept awards by the district or specific schools.
Here are some of the trips:
- School Nutrition Association Annual Conference
- Boston, Mass.
- July 12-17
- 6 administrators
- Cost: $14,394
- United States Marine Educators Workshop
- Parris Island, SC
- April 30-May 1
- One teacher
- Cost: $1,500
- TCEA Conference - Technology in schools
- Austin, Texas
- Feb. 2-7
- 14 administrators
- Cost: $45,864
- National Blue Ribbon School Ceremony
- Washington D.C.
- Nov 15-18
- 2 staffers from Cassidy Elementary
- Cost: $3,000
- Council of Great Schools Conference
- San Diego, Calif
- Oct. 24-29
- 21 administrators and teachers
- Cost: $76,407
This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 12:50 PM.
