Chicago schools had questionable expenses

CHICAGO, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools spent more than $800,000 on items ranging from bug sweeps to alcohol for parties, an inspector general said.

Inspector General James M. Sullivan released a report containing a list of questionable spending under two former board presidents that included $3,000 to sweep offices for eavesdropping devices and $12,624 for holiday parties, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.

"The board allows for double reimbursements, the purchase of alcohol with public funds, catered lunches, publicly funded holiday parties and other gratuitous expenditures," Sullivan's report said.

He questioned why the school board paid a surveillance company to sweep certain school administrative offices.

"You have to spend public money for a public purpose," Sullivan told the Sun-Times. "It would be hard to explain the public purpose for that."

A source familiar with the sweep said it occurred in July 2009, the same month that the board and board president were subpoenaed as part of a federal probe into admissions at elite Chicago public schools.