APS spends big at hotel for training

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque Public Schools is facing some serious budget issues.

Superintendent Winston Brooks has said he does not know what is left outside the classroom to cut. 

But News 13 found the district is still spending big bucks at hotels on banquets and conferences.

According to district invoices, in the past two months alone APS spent more than $25,000 at the Uptown Marriott hotel just down the street from the district headquarters.

In May APS dropped nearly $7,000 of its own money at the Marriott so principals could meet for training. 

The bill included space rental and food.

That same month APS met at the Marriott again to roll out a new teaching curriculum.

The meeting came at a cost of more than $1,000.

One APS mother wonders if now is the time to be holding meetings at hotels.

"Spending all this money on conferences and meetings just kinda takes the money away from the parents and the students," Vanisha Brown said.

In June, the West Mesa High School ROTC had a banquet at the Marriott.

Chicken Parmesan and Beef Tenderloin were some of the menu items.

The banquet cost more than $6,000 courtesy of federal government money.

Also in June, principals met at the hotel for 3 days to learn about special education standards. 

The meeting included a continental breakfast and boxed lunches at a total cost of more than $6,300.

APS special education head Anne Tafoya said the costs are justified.

When asked why the meetings were not held on school property, Tafoya said the hotel was the only place large enough at the time.

"We don't have the space," she said. "The facilities have to have large groups for people to get trained."

Some parents said rewarding students, such as the ROTC, with a hotel banquet, could be motivational.

"That's ok with me, to spend that money on that stuff," APS parent Jesse Smith said."But for principals and teachers, I don't know."

APS said a lot of the meeting money was from federal dollars and it was earmarked for training.

They added that spending it on food and hotels is allowed.

Lack of space was one of the reasons APS said it needs to meet a hotels. 

Construction of a large teacher training facility is in the district's master plan.