OUTRAGE: Chicago Public School Officials Allegedly Spent Millions in Covid Funds on Lavish Travel and Other Luxuries (VIDEO)
Screencap of FOX Business Network video.
Chicago Public Schools are once again facing outrage after a new report revealed that district officials allegedly spent millions of dollars in COVID relief funds on luxury travel and other expenses that had nothing to do with improving education.
The anger isn’t just about the questionable spending — it’s about the timing. While the district poured money into trips and perks, fewer than one-third of CPS students can read at grade level, and math proficiency is even worse. For many parents and community leaders, this kind of mismanagement only strengthens arguments for school choice and for rethinking the role of federal education bureaucracy.
A detailed report from the Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that CPS burned through $14.5 million in excessive travel expenses during fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
This spending spree happened while academic performance continued to lag: in the spring of 2024, only 30.5% of students in grades 3–8 were proficient in reading, and just 18.3% were proficient in math.
Chicago pastor Corey Brooks didn’t mince words when speaking to Fox News Digital.
“It is a sad commentary on just how far our city has fallen and how bad the leadership is,” Brooks said. “These individuals believe that spending money on themselves benefits our educational system more than spending it on the children who so rightfully deserve it.”
Brooks said the problem is even more severe in some neighborhoods. “In our neighborhood, there’s a 6% reading proficiency,” he added. “And now you’re talking about the overall for Chicago being 30% — that is something everyone in power should be addressing.”
The Inspector General’s report detailed how CPS spent $7.7 million on travel in FY 2024 alone, a staggering 2,467% increase over the $300,000 spent in FY 2021. Even before the pandemic, CPS spent far less — $3.6 million in FY 2019.
And these weren’t simple business trips. According to the OIG, school officials traveled to destinations including Las Vegas, Egypt, Finland, and South Africa, all on the taxpayers’ dime.
The revelations come as national debates intensify over the future of public education. Supporters of school choice and reforms — including President Trump — argue that stories like this highlight exactly why parents want alternatives to failing school systems.
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