If there is one thing government bureaucrats have mastered, it is spending other people’s money while convincing themselves it is an “investment” to benefit the public. And that brings us to Metro Nashville Public Schools and Superintendent Adrienne Battle’s travel expenses. Nobody loves using YOUR money for HERSELF more than Adrienne!
According to WSMV’s Jeremy Finley, MNPS district credit card records show roughly $19,293 in travel expenses for Battle over the past two years. The bill included hotels, rental cars, conference travel, and at least one memorable dinner at Ocean Prime in Washington, D.C., with a tab of $711.24.
Here is the reality. MNPS operates a budget exceeding $1.3 billion and serves more than 80,000 students. In budgetary terms, $19,293 is a drop in the bucket. The issue is deeper than seafood and steak. The issue isn’t whether the district can afford it. The issue is whether taxpayers should be expected to fund it.
The key question in public policy is not about intentions but about motivation. The main issue with government spending is a lack of accountability, not corruption. In the private sector, executives spend wisely because shareholders are watching. In government, taxpayers are captive customers, leading to predictable outcomes.
A hotel becomes a luxury hotel because, after all, it costs only a few hundred dollars more. A dinner becomes Ocean Prime because everyone is already there. Each decision is seemingly defensible on its own. Collectively, they reveal a culture out of touch with our current economy and appropriate use of tax dollars entrusted to them.
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is seeking over $56 million in the new budget. Nearly half of the anticipated funds are already allocated: 37.6 percent for MNPS and 11.5 percent for debt service. The proposed spending for schools includes a 4 percent increase, totaling nearly $56 million.
When buying votes does not work, governments often resort to buying lunch. Some in public education have elevated the practice to an art form. Every event promises “leadership, collaboration, and innovation.” But is there any proof in that very expensive pudding? MNPS’s educational challenges persist despite their self-interested spending. Perhaps the breakthrough was hidden somewhere between the sea bass and the New York strip at Ocean Prime while students dine on mystery meat in the cafeteria.
MNPS argues that these trips help leaders learn best practices and bring innovative ideas back to Nashville. Fair enough. Professional development matters. Nobody wants school leaders locked in a bunker, isolated from new ideas and emerging research. With world-class leadership here in Nashville and quality colleges and universities, could we not foster those partnerships?
But there is a difference between professional development and professional tourism. The burden of proof rests with those spending public money. What exactly did taxpayers receive for their investment? Why not stay in Tennessee rather than spend our tax dollars in other states?
Which conference produced which initiative? Which initiative improved which student outcome? If district leaders can answer those questions, then make the case publicly. Most taxpayers would likely support spending that produces results. We see the spending; where are the results!?
The challenge is that education has developed a bad habit over the years. Too often, adults celebrate activities rather than outcomes. Students, meanwhile, remain the only metric that truly matters.
As Professional Educators of Tennessee, JC Bowman noted: “To be fair, MNPS has seen student growth scores improve, graduation rates have risen, and the district has earned recognition for academic progress. Those accomplishments deserve acknowledgment. But success does not eliminate accountability. In fact, success demands it. I cannot defend some of this spending, nor can MNPS.”
The same taxpayers who fund these trips also fund classrooms, buses, textbooks, special education services, school safety initiatives, and teacher salaries. They have every right to ask whether every discretionary dollar is being spent with the same care expected in their own households. And Finley’s reporting may be only the appetizer.
The next course is the ongoing principal retreat in Louisville, which involves roughly 250 people, multiple days of meals and snacks, and additional days for senior staff. TriStar Daily has learned that these MNPS personnel will also visit Churchill Downs for a private tour and dinner tonight, and everyone is expected to dress as if they are at the Kentucky Derby, fancy hats and all! Surely that cannot be cheap.
Perhaps it will be immensely valuable. Perhaps it will generate ideas that improve schools across Nashville. Perhaps it will justify every penny. Perhaps you can place a winning bet on a horse at 10-to-1 odds. Perhaps. But there is no guarantee. What we do know is that thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars will again be spent outside of Nashville and Tennessee.
However, before taxpayers are handed the bill, they deserve more than assurances. They deserve evidence. There is one question that cuts through every conference agenda, retreat, and expense report.
Does it benefit kids? If yes, show us. If not, save the travel budget that seems to be an arrogant example of disrespecting those who are paying for it.
Steve Gill is the Publisher and Editor of TriStar Daily
