Baton Rouge, La. — A newly launched transparency initiative from the Louisiana Department of Treasury has revealed several questionable expenditures by school districts across the state, including large sums spent on restaurants, retreats, balloons, and even fireworks, according to public data compiled through the Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Website.
The website was created following the passage of Act 370, sponsored by State Senator Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge) and signed into law on August 1, 2023. The law requires public school systems to report detailed financial information—including vendor names, purposes, and costs of goods and services purchased across various spending categories.
The transparency site, accessible through the Louisiana Department of Treasury’s homepage, is now considered one of the most comprehensive K-12 financial transparency platforms in the country. It houses more than 2 million lines of data, shedding light on how Louisiana school districts allocate public funds.
Some spending records have raised concerns:
- $248,151 spent on staff retreats
- $168,752 spent at restaurants, including $17,563 spent by several Orleans Parish public schools at Dooky Chase
- $5,000 spent on fireworks
- $13,663 spent on balloons
Perhaps most notably, the site revealed that the Orleans Parish School Board reported $166,997 in spending on lobbying and government relations, including a $2,000 donation to Act Blue, a Democratic Party political action committee. That expenditure was categorized as “Materials and Supplies.”
“The Louisiana K-12 school transparency website holds our public-school officials accountable for spending your money,” said State Treasurer John Fleming. “It will allow Louisiana’s citizens to uncover dubious public money expenditures by school districts.”
Fleming added that public access to this level of data promotes both accountability and efficiency, with the broader goal of improving educational outcomes and ensuring better pay for teachers.
The website continues to be updated as additional data is submitted by school systems. Citizens can view the spending records and draw their own conclusions by visiting treasury.la.gov.