School board pushed to make records public
'There's nothing to hide,' Charleston County schools superintendent says of expense report
Charleston County School Board members' travel expenses are supposed to be published annually each August, according to the board's policy.
Last year, that didn't happen until after the newspaper requested the information. This year, the information was disseminated to school board members behind closed doors; the figures weren't posted on the district's Web site or distributed to media.
Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley said anyone was welcome to the information, and the district followed the policy requirement to publish board expenses by making members aware of those costs.
"We're not trying to prevent it from being made public," she said. "We did comply with the policy. There's nothing to hide."
Board Chairman Hillery Douglas said he'd like to see the district go a step further in making the information public, and he planned to make that request. It should be available if "John Q. Citizen" wants to see what the board's spending, he said.
"I think it ought to be public information," Douglas said.
Board members have taken heat for their expenses in the past. In an effort to rein in spending, the board amended its policy to require approval for members to attend out-of-state meetings. The board also can require members to share with others what they learned at such gatherings.
Board member David Engelman has been criticized in the past for his travel costs. He said he didn't go anywhere this year because he didn't want to take the public criticism. He viewed those trips as a part of being a good board member, and he said he still thinks they are important. But the public has a different perception, he said.
He asked the school district in July to begin posting its monthly expenses online, and officials said they would look into his request. He said he has not heard anything about it since then.
McGinley said research has been done on Engelman's request, and officials could, at the board's request, bring that back to the board for discussion.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 8 comment(s)
Posted by a_set_love on October 5, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Fiscal responsibility is not what Democrat leadership lives for nor embraces.
Can anyone list 10 things that OBAMA stands for that makes him qualified to be President and Commander-in Chief of the United States of America????? ...NoBama-08
Posted by WSM on October 5, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ummmm...has this monstrosity of a school district done anything competently? The S.C. Dep't. of Education should come in like gangbusters and clean house.
Pretty sad state of affairs, when one looks at the state being near the bottom out of 50.
Call my kids "home schooled." I see it like this: with the education that most kids are getting in public schools, my children won't have to work so hard to compete for jobs, scholarships, or anything. Heh, at least mine can find the United States on a map of North America!
Sadly, mine don't get instruction on how to put condoms on a cucumber when they are afraid of "cooties." I guess I should expect a visit from DSS?
Posted by wonderdog on October 5, 2008 at 7:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Remember the school board's trip to England to recruit teachers? How many Brits are now teaching in the Charleston County schools?
Remember the conference in Hawaii that they said was a necessary retreat for the board members?
Show us the books. It's OUR MONEY.
Posted by abitskeptical on October 6, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"..Superintendent Nancy McGinley said...the district followed the policy requirement to publish board expenses by making members aware of those costs."
"We're not trying to prevent it from being made public," she said. "We did comply with the policy. There's nothing to hide."
Why does this sound disingenuous?
They "complied w/ policy" merely by telling the board members what money they themselves had spent???
Now that's what I call a spirit of accountability & openness!
Posted by halfsheli on October 6, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Surely, a-set-love, you would not dare assert that the republicans are fiscally responsible. Surely you recognize that politicians local, stae, and federal on BOTH sides of the "aisle" spend our tax dollars freely and without qualms. I doubt whether we can blame this economic mess that our great nation is in on any ONE political party. After all, was it ONLY democrats that recently voted to give $700 billion worth of welfare to rich, coporate people who ran their businesses into the ground?
Posted by halfsheli on October 6, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now, back to the topic --
It is subversive and shady the way they are "releasing" the travel budget. McGinley and CCSB should be aware that public trust is at an ALL TIME LOW. They should go above and beyond to show the tax payers that they have no need to worry. That is. of course, unless they are flying 1st class and staying in Ritz-Carltons...
Posted by abitskeptical on October 6, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
halfsheli-I have noticed that we do not often agree, but I enthusiastically "ditto" both of your posts this morning !
Posted by halfsheli on October 6, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ENTHUSIASTICALLY! WOW!!! Thanks, That never happens when I go my crazy-lady rants!!!!