MISSION VIEJO : Trustees Tighten Policy for Approval of Board Travel Expenses
The Saddleback Valley Unified School District board has tightened its travel and conference spending in response to the county bankruptcy.
In the past, the board approved all its budgeted trips with a single vote at the start of the fiscal year. On Thursday, the board moved to consider future trips individually.
The board voted 3 to 2 to adopt the new approach. Trustees Debbie Hughes and Frank L. Ury were opposed.
Trustee Bobbee Cline said that the money saved isn’t much, but it would help the district, which like other public school districts in Orange County is preparing for possible cuts because of the collapse of the county’s investment pool.
Travel and conferences for trustees in the last two years have cost the district about $17,000--nearly the salary for a first-year teacher, Cline said.
If the board decided not to approve any more travel through the end of the fiscal year, the savings would be $4,058.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
