This story was produced by the Berks County bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom. Sign up for Good Day, Berks, a daily dose of essential local stories at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/gooddayberks.
READING — The Reading School Board dropped plans to consider increasing its travel budget during a Wednesday meeting, while also rejecting a member’s suggestion to temporarily pause travel.
Earlier this week, Spotlight PA revealed that the board exceeded its travel budget for the past two school years. Records show it spent approximately $63,000 in 2024-25 and nearly $30,000 through May 27 of the 2025-26 school year, which ended June 30.
Total spending for the latter school year was $39,000, according to an unaudited itemized budget breakdown that was attached to the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting.
That brings the board’s total travel expenses over the two years to around $102,000. Going over budget is not illegal, but it has further divided the board in a city that had to raise property taxes last year to keep up with costs.
Residents who attended referenced Spotlight PA’s findings and asked for detailed spending breakdowns.
The board budgeted $11,550 and $12,127 for travel in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, respectively. The travel budget for the current school year is similar: $12,733.
However, the budget document shows the district had estimated spending $75,000 for this purpose.
At a committee meeting last week, President Noahleen Betts proposed raising the travel budget for this school year or the following one to $95,000. She said the current amount is not high enough to allow board members to participate in as many professional development opportunities as they are permitted.
The board was expected to vote on that proposal Wednesday, but the item was pulled from the agenda without public discussion hours before the meeting.
The board also did vote on a new motion to consider a two-year pause on travel proposed by member M. Emilia Portes. Members Melissa Eggert and Robin Costenbader-Jacobson encouraged their colleagues to consider the idea.
“Being fiscally responsible, looking at alternatives to conferences, bringing trainers to us to address specific issues that the board has or needs, as far as what we need to learn, I think would be a huge cost saving to the district,” Eggert said.
Five members of the nine-person board opposed adding the proposal to the agenda: Betts, Vice President Paige Brookins, Jonathan Tinoco, Patricia Wright, and Shaykayarira DelRio-Gonzalez. The motion failed.
Betts and Brookins referred Spotlight PA to the board’s attorney when asked about the decision not to consider the proposal to raise the travel budget and their votes regarding the moratorium motion. The attorney said he did not have any additional information.
A majority of community members who spoke at the meeting agreed the board should have professional development opportunities. They said they want the board to be more open about its spending and make presentations when returning from conferences to share what was learned. Others said that the amount the board spent did not matter, as long as the information came back to the schools and benefitted the students.
DelRio-Gonzalez responded to the public comments and gave examples of how she believed conferences aid her work for the district. A meeting in California, which cost the district about $12,000 in lodging and transportation, gave her the idea to pitch an “apartment-style housing concept” for unhoused students; at another, she learned about a program from the State College Area School District that led her to pursue a senior property tax relief initiative, she said.
She has also been able to advocate for district funding, she added.
“My responsibility is not simply to show up, read an agenda, and vote on it,” DelRio-Gonzalez said. “It is to understand what I’m voting on and how those decisions may affect our students, staff, families, and taxpayers. I believe our students deserve board members who are willing to do that work. I have also made personal sacrifices to participate in professional development.”
She also asked residents to look at the travel spending in the context of the district’s $516.7 million budget and to look beyond the titles of expenses. She referenced chartered transportation as an example. While the hired company may describe it as “luxury,” she said, the service allows taller board members to travel comfortably, together, and with luggage without paying for multiple compact cars.
Board Member Patricia Wright said on Facebook before the meeting that she has shown dedication as an elected official, and that conferences help bring ideas to the district.
“Conferences are about learning, making connections, representing the district and bring fresh perspectives back to our own,” Wright said in the post.
No other board members spoke in detail about the spending at the meeting.
Over budget in other areas
The board has exceeded its budget on more than travel, according to the itemized breakdown.
The document lists the board as being more than $12,000 over its budget in the 2025-26 school year for “board meeting dinners, invitation to events with meals, board retreat meals.”
The board was under budget that year for advertising, general supplies (clothing and name plates), and sponsorships, among other areas.
The board did not discuss the itemized budget during its Wednesday meeting. The document was attached to the agenda item to discuss raising the travel budget and was removed from the board’s website when the item was pulled.
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