Barber strikes back after TV reports Suncoast stay

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 | 9:04 a.m.

Clark County School Board member Shirley Barber went on the offensive Thursday, suggesting one of her elected colleagues or even Superintendent Carlos Garcia had provided a television news reporter with information for an unflattering story.

Barber's travel expenses -- including a three-night hotel stay at the Suncoast while participating in an education conference in nearby Summerlin -- were the focus of a report Tuesday by KVBC Channel 3's Kendall Tenney.

Barber, who was re-elected to a third term earlier this month by a wide margin, has repeatedly clashed with other School Board members and has often been the only "no" vote in otherwise unanimous decisions.

"It is clear in my mind these actions are retaliatory," Barber said. "I am elected trustee. I will not allow this superintendent or any member of this board to attempt to discredit me."

Her allegations appeared to stun several of the other School Board members and had Garcia rising quickly to the defense of his staff.

"Neither I nor my office have anything to do with board travel, the planning, the expense reports, absolutely nothing -- and frankly, I like it that way," Garcia said. "Any allegations that our office was in any way involved is wrong. That's something I will not tolerate."

Garcia said he was asked by Tenney to provide his own travel expense records and did so. An administrative secretary for the School Board confirmed that an assistant for Tenney requested -- and was provided with -- travel records for all seven members, not just Barber.

Tenney could not be immediately reached for comment.

In his report, Tenney questioned why Barber used more than $300 in district funds to pay for a three-night stay at the Suncoast last month.

Barber, along with the rest of the School Board and several district administrators, was taking part in the Council of Great City Schools conference being held nearby at the J.W. Mariott down the street from the Suncoast.

The bill for her stay at the Suncoast was paid for out of the travel budget allotted to each School Board member.

Barber, 69, told Kenney she is uncomfortable driving long distances at night. But Kenney noted the conference sessions ended before dark.

While the workshops did end by late afternoon there were a variety of social sessions scheduled in the evenings. Those activities are an important opportunity to get to know School Board members and district administrators from across the country, Barber said Thursday.

Also at Thursday's meeting Barber asked why she had been the focus of the news report when her actions were not out of line with district policy. She said she planned to ask the state attorney general to investigate.

Bill Hoffman, attorney for the district, said there is no regulation prohibiting a School Board member from using the allocated travel budget for a local conference.

"It's a nonissue," Hoffman said. "If the expense is genuinely connected to an educational purpose it's legitimate."