Expense reports made available this month show trustees for the local high school district spent just over $23,000 in reimbursed travel, hotel and other fees during the last year and a half.

The expenses, which mostly went to attending conferences or paying dues to educational organizations, are part of the normal operations for a typical school board, said Joe White, associate superintendent of business services.

"The money is insignificant for the amount of time they spend here," White said.

The reports show that Judy Hannemann, who attends more conferences in her role as president of the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District Board, spent nearly $8,100 over the last 18 months. Trustees Susan Sweeley and Joe Mitchner were in the $5,000 range for the same period, while Julia Rosenberg spent $3,200 and Phil Faillace totaled $1,750, the lowest of any trustee.

All board members receive a stipend of $250 for attending two meetings a month and for participating in most of the high schools' events, such as graduations and teacher training. Two members are covered by the district's health care plans, which include dental, medical and vision coverage. But the expense reports only include travel and membership fees, and do not incorporate stipends or health care costs.

Administrators say that it's important for board members to attend developmental workshops, and to join educational and leadership organizations, because they allow trustees to learn about educational policy and new ideas.

"If you don't go out and see what you should or could be doing, you are becoming a yes-person to the superintendent," Hannemann said.

During the last fiscal year, expenses for the board members totaled $16,500, and overall the board spent around $23,000 from Jan. 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. The district's annual budget is $42 million.

School district administrators tallied the expenses following a California Public Records Act request from Palo Alto lawyer Peter Brewer, who demanded copies of expense reports from the last year and half. The request followed a contentious discussion at a June 25 board meeting between the trustees and two Los Altos City Council members, David Casas and Ron Packard. During the same meeting, Hannemann discussed some of her travel expenses.

When contacted by the Voice, both Packard and Brewer refused to comment on the issue, and Casas did not return e-mails before press time. Trustees and school administrators say they do not know why Brewer requested the information, especially since the trustees spend such a small fraction of the district's budget.

Administrators said Hannemann's travel expenses were exacerbated by the current budget crisis. As schools face budget cuts, the district sends trustees to more conferences and workshops, mostly in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to learn about the budget.

As examples, Hannemann spent $475 for a two-day stay at the Marriott in San Francisco for an educational conference, and $400 for a plane ticket to Washington.

She said part of her higher expenses can also be explained by her meetings with Superintendent Barry Groves -- the board president is required to meet with the superintendent twice before each bimonthly meeting.

"The best time for me to meet is meal time," Hannemann said. "Some presidents met at 7 a.m. or came over right before the meeting."

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