A New Rule for School Budgets

Cherry Creek Schools is pushing its board to tighten rules on how it pays outside companies. The move comes after a probe into Education Accelerated, the firm that helped launch the district’s teacher residency program. School officials say the company may have overcharged or double‑billed for travel and other expenses. Education Accelerated has sent receipts and calendars to show its work, but district lawyers claim the evidence is not enough. A district attorney wrote that the firm still has not produced receipts for large reimbursements from 2023 to early 2024. The firm’s lawyer counters that the company is following new record‑keeping rules that differ from earlier ones. The investigation also looks at ties between Education Accelerated and former superintendent Christopher Smith and his wife, the district’s HR chief. Both signed off on contracts worth nearly $3 million. There are questions about whether the couple was influenced by paid international travel when awarding those contracts.Travel costs are a key concern. Education Accelerated may have billed the district $57, 520 for trips that routinely exceeded a $5, 000 limit. The district wants receipts for all meals and travel from March to July 2024, totaling just under $15 000. If the board approves the new policy, vendors could not be reimbursed for out‑of‑pocket items unless written in a contract. Alcohol, entertainment, personal expenses, upgrades, tolls and parking would all be barred. Travel for work would need written supervisor approval before it happens. Emails show a tense relationship. Education Accelerated tried to stop the district from ending its contract in February. The firm’s lawyer says it was told by the HR chief that receipts were no longer needed, a claim denied by the HR chief’s own lawyer. The district remains unsure how much money it still owes the firm, and whether any alcohol was paid for by the company. Both sides say they are negotiating a fair resolution for taxpayers.