Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Travel Bpa Nationals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Okemos BPA adviser races to book flights for national conference; district promises payment help
Summary
Miss Murchie, the Oakmas High School Business Professionals of America adviser, told the Okemos Board of Education she had to book flights and conference registrations for 18 students for the BPA national leadership conference immediately and that she charged the bookings to her personal credit card because district payment processes were too slow.
Miss Murchie, the Oakmas High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) adviser, told the Okemos Board of Education that 18 students qualified for the BPA national leadership conference and registration and flight bookings must be completed immediately or the district risks losing spots.
The adviser described a compressed timeline that required her to submit deposits and arrange flights within 48 hours and said she “put the whole thing on my credit card. The kids pay me. I keep copious receipts, and I have those all available for anyone to audit for all of the costs.”
Why it matters: Students who qualify for nationals must be registered and ticketed quickly; failure to do so would forfeit earned spots. The adviser said the required hotel and conference registration are nonnegotiable and that she cannot obtain three quotes for hotels because the conference requires a mandated host hotel.
Board members and administrators pressed for clearer district procedures for last‑minute student travel and for payment options. Superintendent Hood and Director Lance told the board that every building has district credit cards that can be increased and that the district will work with high school administration to avoid staff having to use personal credit in the future. Hood said the district will “work with executive director of Luntz and come up with a plan” to speed reimbursements and increase card availability.
Trip details provided by the adviser: roughly $1,500 per student to cover flights, conference registration, quad‑share hotel rooms, ground transportation and a day at an amusement park; payment deadlines include a near‑term deposit for flights and a final payment by April 11. The adviser said she prefers Delta over lower‑cost carriers to reduce likelihood of delays and extra baggage fees.
Board members asked how many students and chaperones are traveling, what fundraising or school support exists and whether staff credit or central office checks could be expedited. The adviser named a likely second chaperone, Deborah Meister, and said she keeps detailed receipts for audit. Superintendent Hood committed to follow up with a plan for timely reimbursements and district card usage.
The board did not take a vote on the item; the meeting record shows the board discussing ways to address the short timeline for district processes.
Looking ahead: The district will report back on a plan to provide advisors with nonpersonal payment pathways for urgent national competition travel and on any process changes needed to avoid last‑minute personal expenditures.
