(Above photo: A sample Waterford Crystal paperweight valued at a bargain price of $125. Graphic features an expense form obtained by students during an open records request.)
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By Mike Mierendorf
The Whitefish Bay School District spent more than $83,000 on travel and non-travel related expenses for employees, including a $200 gift certificate to Sanford Restaurant and a $140 Waterford crystal paperweight during the 2004-05 school year, according to a Frontpage Milwaukee review of the school year's expense records.
According to credit card statements received through an Open Records Law request, some of the cities the district employees traveled to included Colorado Springs, Colo., San Antonio and Vancouver, Canada. The school district has a travel and expense reimbursement policy, which in some cases was not followed.
This investigation was inspired after the Greendale School District came under fire in March of 2006 when a citizen taxpayers' group noted that the district was taking expensive trips to conferences on taxpayer money. Greendale officials traveled to more than 90 conferences during this time, spending thousands of dollars each trip.
In Whitefish Bay, some of the more unusual payments were not travel-related.
The $140 Waterford crystal paperweight and $125 Lladro figurine were given to two school board members in recognition of their services.
“For school board members who have been on board for 11 years, it would be like a plaque,” said Shawn Yde, director of business services. “I know they give gifts for service like that in other districts also.”
The Lladro figurine was given to board member Pam Woodard and the Waterford paperweight was given to Tim Somers.
Not all citizens thought that was money well spent.
“I’m not happy about that. It’s a freaking paperweight,” said Chris Breyfogle, owner of Murray’s Wine & Spirits in Whitefish Bay.
Whitefish Bay officials go on an average of 12 national conferences each year, according to Yde, and even more if instate conferences are included.
“Teachers and staff should go to conferences to keep up on the new things going on in their fields, and they can be beneficial,” Yde said.
Yde said that Greendale used its conferences to “get their name out there…You don’t get your name out there by going to conferences; you get it out there from results.”
Whitefish Bay follows strict policy and procedure for attending conferences. First, the interested faculty member must fill out a form to request permission to attend the conference, including estimates for anticipated expenses.
During the trip, all expenses are incurred by the faculty member, and upon return he or she must complete a reimbursement form. Yde said that Whitefish Bay does not reimburse for lodging if the destination is within driving distance.
Conference attendance
Whitefish Bay employees went on trips which included conferences in Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and the Wisconsin Dells, Wis., with hotel stays at The Westin on Michigan Ave, the Ritz-Carlton, the Hyatt and Ho-Chunk Casino and Hotel, respectively.
In February, Superintendent James Rickabaugh traveled to San Antonio for the American Association of School Administrators 2005 National Conference of Education. Including registration, lodging and transportation for a three-day conference: the trip totaled more than $1,000.
Two weeks prior, Brian Chase, Whitefish Bay School District energy manager, traveled to San Antonio as well for an energy conference that was pre-approved for a cost of more than $1,000.
There are instances of the district not following its own reimbursement policy.
The reimbursement policy, which stipulates rules for travel, transportation, lodging, meals and additional expenses, states, “Under no circumstances is the cost of alcoholic beverages to be included. Itemized receipts for said meals are required for reimbursement.”
Yde noted that, “if a person has a $30 or $40 dinner, we would question that.”
As recently as March 2006, district employee Lisa Gies was reimbursed for more than $600 for a trip to Chicago where she stayed at The Westin. Included in the trip was reimbursement for travel by train to Chicago, and more than $375 for a two-night stay.
The hotel bill included one $40 charge for in-room dining. Three additional non-itemized receipts for meals were included in the reimbursement and were priced at more than $60, $40 and $7. Contradictory to WhitefishBay’s own reimbursement policy, Gies was reimbursed in full.
However, alongside the receipts is a note that reads, “This is the only receipt that Lisa has. She knows next time to request a receipt detailing purchase.”
Citizen comments and additional charges
Citizens of WhitefishBay had mixed feelings about district spending.
Jill Hentzen, a citizen of WhitefishBay, when asked about the $83,000 expense total said, “That seems ok to me. They’re usually pretty fiscally responsible.”
However, other citizens don’t seem to share Hentzen’s acceptance.
One citizen, who refused to give his name when asked for an opinion about the hotels used by administrators, said, “I wish I could afford that.”
Breyfogle expressed other dissatisfaction with the way the district spends its money and cited the new Olympic track for the high school as an example.
“Over the top,” said one concerned citizen, who refused to give her name because of closer personal ties to a former school board member. “This seems extravagant.”
While some citizens considered a few expenses questionable, a $200 Sanford Restaurant gift certificate given to Yde, widely considered a top restaurant in Milwaukee, caused mixed reactions.
Yde was recognized in January as the 2006 Business Administrator of the Year for the state of Wisconsin.
“I’m actually OK with that,” Breyfogle said, concerning the gift certificate. “That’s a pretty good deal.”
Yde was nominated by the school board for a number of initiatives and for creating a trust fund that reduced taxpayer burden on post-employment expenses.
“Oh my God,” said another citizen, who asked to remain anonymous in response to learning about the $200 gift certificate.
The items on the credit card receipts as well as the travel expenses all come out of taxpayer dollars and that they have to be treated that way, Yde said .
“If you ask me if there are districts that reimburse for things they shouldn’t, I would probably say yes,” Yde said . “I think it was unethical how Greendale did things; it gave everyone a bad name.”
Chris Damico contributed to this story.