Philly School District spent at least $309,000 sending staff to local union conference despite travel policy

B+L Investigates

Philly School District spent at least $309,000 sending staff to local union conference despite travel policy Todd Shepherd September 10, 2025 September 9, 2025

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The School District of Philadelphia spent at least $309,000 for several hundred of its employees to attend a union conference in March, according to documents obtained via a Right to Know Law request. Many of the expenses conflict with the district’s own travel policies.

About $294,000 went to registration fees at $440–$500 per person, and roughly $14,500 covered about 40 hotel rooms, bringing the total to about $309,000 — even though the conference was located in Philadelphia.

If the district has a rationale for the expenses,