ATLANTA — Some Atlanta Public Schools parents are questioning the price tag of the APS State of the District presentation. A Channel 2 Action News investigation found that the total cost was more than $95,000.
It was a $130 lunch plate featuring pan roasted salmon and decadent flourless chocolate cake for 300 people at the Illuminairum, a high-end entertainment venue, along the Atlanta Beltline paid for with government money.
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Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray filed open records request for the invoices. The costs just for the venue totaled more than $40,000.
You can see images from the high tech, high energy show on APS Social Media. It was a memorable lunch, but also a very expensive lunch, says Midtown High School parent, Meredith Bass.
“It makes me want to scream and shout to be honest with you,” Bass said.
Food was one of the biggest costs, which was $39,000 in catering paid to Proof of the Pudding caterers. But it wasn’t just the room and the food.
APS paid $4,700 on shiny, sparkly jackets for students to wear and spent thousands more on table centerpieces and flowers.
Gray asked APS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring why the event couldn’t be held in an APS building.
“Why couldn’t you do that in a gymnasium or an auditorium? Obviously APS has lots of buildings,” said Gray.
Herring said the vision casting did not exist within APS schools.
“That’s a good question. So, first and foremost, what we were able to provide in casting the vision for 2036 doesn’t exist within our schools,” Herring responded.
Herring says what she calls “vision casting” was a pitch to corporations and foundations, and the start of a $15 million fundraising campaign.
“That investment yields a longer investment, long term for schools,” Herring said.
Akiem Williams is an APS graduate and has two sisters who are students at Benjamin Mays High School.
“My first initial thought was what about the teachers here in Atlanta that are already not making the most dollars. How are we supporting them?” Williams asked.
Gray caught up with Herring at Booker T. Washington High School as the Home Depot Foundation was making a surprise announcement to students about scholarships.
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She says it is an example of the kinds of private investments she hoped the lunch will generate.
“Do you think those companies would donate less if they didn’t get a $130 a plate lunch?” Gray asked.
Herring said she can’t speak on that, specifically.
“I can’t speak for companies to the extent of what they would do otherwise. I can tell you what they’ve said. I can tell you Apple is at the table, Google and Microsoft.” Herring responded.
Herring says tax dollars did not pay for the State of the District. Instead, special funds like vending machines and teacher parking fees paid for it.
“The State of the District was not using taxpayer dollars but fundraising dollars. The investment we make because of the State of District allows us to exponentially increase that,” Herring said.
Bass does not buy that argument.
“Why isn’t that money going straight back into the school system. The teachers need it. The teachers open their pocket books for the basic supplies,” Bass said.
Herring says the school district spent $56,000 in 2022 on State of the District.
We checked around with other school districts and no other metro Atlanta district said they are putting on an expensive production like this.
We also checked with the Governor’s office on the price tag for the State of the State address. It only totaled $7,500 with money going to photographers and a teleprompter.
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The full interview with Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray and Dr. Lisa Herring is below:
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