Superintendent candidate travel expenses revealed

MCPS took their time, but finally released a document summarizing the travel expenses for the superintendent candidates.

But note that these aren't the travel expenses for the 2016 search.   These are for the 2015 candidate search, which ended with hiring Larry Bowers, right from within MCPS.   So the BOE spent $9228.92 and got exactly zero in return.

We asked for the actual travel expense invoices.  MCPS said that they they didn't have the actual invoices.  Instead, they sent us the invoice below, which appears to have been prepared by the search firm,  ECRA Group, Inc.

For all anyone knows, the figures from ECRA are entirely fictitious.   With no names or receipts, we have nothing to show that the ECRA bill is legitimate.  And neither does MCPS.  It's all based on trust.  Does your employer trust you this much?

Candidate A was frugal.  Seems that she walked to and from the airport.  She also walked to and from her hotel.  She must be on a starvation diet because it seems that she ate absolutely nothing.

Candidate B was also quite frugal.  He apparently ate TV dinners during his visit.  Spending so little on meals would not make our previous superintendent or our current BOE look very good by comparison.  We'd like to know how he got to and from the airport for a total of $15.00.   This guy really knows how to cut costs. 

Candidate C apparently thought that he was being recruited for a corporate executive job so he did whatever he could to spend, spend, spend on himself.  Kind of like former Superintendent Starr and a number of other MCPS executives.  $3806.00 in airline expenses.   Did he fly first class?   Or maybe he took two interview trips.  Even so, $3806.00 in airfare?   Did he come from London?

Candidate D didn't eat much.  Possibly another TV dinner guy.  He stayed at a reasonably priced hotel.  But he sure did like to fly in style.  First class, perhaps?

Candidate E was the most frugal overall.  No shocking expenses.  Maybe she didn't spend enough to please the BOE.

There were no travel expenses reported for local candidates.  Or maybe they walked from Howard County, Baltimore County, etc.  We'll never know.