French trip of Barge staffers raises eyebrows | www.myajc.com

Three high-level Georgia Department of Education officials, including Superintendent John Barge’s outgoing chief of staff, traveled to France late last year, pulling almost $9,400 from a fund set up for international exchanges.

The department initially said the French government had covered the cost of the trip but, when asked for the exact amount and date of the French payment, officials said the money came from a trust fund set up for international exchanges for students, staff and teachers.

The travel and official actions of Barge and his staff is under increasing scrutiny now that Barge has announced his plans to run for governor.

Matt Cardoza, spokesman for the state Department of Education, said Georgia taxpayers did not pay into the fund, which had a balance of $26,950 in July of 2012 but was down to $2,206.72 last month. There was initial confusion about how the French trip was paid for because of how long the fund has been around, he said.

A private donor, the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation — named after the wife of one of Coca-Cola’s original bottlers — helped establish the fund in 1994.

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