A new report reveals that the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district recorded approximately $14.5 million in travel expenses over fiscal years 2023 and 2024, even as just 30.5 percent of students in grades 3–8 achieved reading proficiency and only 18.3 percent reached proficiency in math. The report showed travel costs jumped to $7.7 million in 2024 alone — a rise of more than 2,400 percent compared to 2021.
The travel spending included domestic and international trips claimed as professional development or conferences, while CPS also recorded chronic absenteeism rates near 41 percent among students. CPS officials said they have since paused nearly all employee travel and begun a policy review. The findings have sparked criticism from community leaders, who say the money should have been focused on improving classroom outcomes and literacy efforts.
The district, serving hundreds of thousands of students with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged households, now faces pressure to justify how funds are allocated, especially given the stark academic performance figures.