DeKalb teachers were sent to a conference this week in Los Angeles to help them improve academically troubled schools. The trip reportedly cost $380,000, including the cost of conference registration, hotels, flights and meals for the 180 teachers and administrators who attended. Those attending will train other staff members when they return.

The America's Choice professional development program organized the event.The school board reportedly was forced to use federal Title I funds for the trip to attend the conference at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. Federal stimulus funds are used to pay for the America's Choice program for DeKalb teachers on a daily basis in DeKalb schools, but stimulus funds were not used.