By Jon A. Brake

The Manhattan School District is not the only place where they can cut the Budget and still end up with a larger number than when they started. The City of Manhattan and Riley County can do the same thing.

But to hear the five of the Board members talk you would think the District would not have the money to feed the children. (Not a bad idea but that's another story.) They cut and cut until there is no money for any project that will help children learn.

But what about teachers training? Well for that they have money. At the end of July the Manhattan School District sent four teachers to Boston for a conference called "Understanding By Design. "The conference focused on the assessment program at the high school uses with its students."

The District spent $1,916.00 to register the four teachers. It cost $882.20 to fly them to Boston and then return. According to the hotel guide in Boston the rooms at the Westin Copley Place Hotel run from $309.00 to $499.00 per day. The conference rate was $223.77 per day. The four took three rooms and the bill was $2,702.04. That included $16.80 phone bill.

Transportation to and from KCI ran another $199.79 and $368.75 for meals. The last two numbers will go up because one had not turned in the transportation and meals bills.

In all, the District paid more than $6,068.78 for the training. And this is just one of several conferences.