AURORA, Colo. – The Aurora, Colorado school district is having severe academic problems, according to various news reports.

It’s considered a ‘priority improvement school district” by the Colorado Department of Education. It’s also on the state’s “lowest performing districts” list.

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The district fell well short of state averages in student testing in several academic disciplines in 2014, according to its state report card.

Only 46.5 percent of students were proficient or advanced in reading, compared to 69 percent statewide. Only 34.3 percent made the grade in writing, compared to 54.4 percent statewide, and a meager 36.1 percent hit the standard in math, compared to 56.4 percent statewide.

Only about 50 percent of Aurora students graduate.

The situation has deteriorated to the point that a parents group called the “If Not Now Coalition” recently issued a report that essentially accused the district of failing in its mission to educate children, according to the Denver Post.

When schools sink so low, it’s useful for parents and other concerned citizens to try to determine where district priorities lie. Is the focus in the classroom? Where is the money spent, and on what?

EAGnews recently obtained a copy of the Aurora district’s spending records for hotels, airline travel and restaurant expenses for fiscal year 2014-15.

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While the totals are just a tiny fraction of all the money the district spends in one year, they are still significant, and raise questions about why all the travel and food was necessary, and how it helped the district address its academic dilemma.

The district spent a total of $248,064 on hotels in fiscal 2015, $145,132 on airlines, $257,361 on restaurants and catering and $24,361 on taxis and other forms of transportation.

The Aurora district recorded 781 transactions at 180 different hotels around the nation over the course of the year.

The 10 hotels (or travel-oriented services) that did the most business with the district are the Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center ($11,405), The Broadmoor Reservations ($10,385), Doubletree Hotel ($8,821), Embassy Suites Loveland ($8,270), Beaver Run Reservations ($7,923), Hilton Advance Purchase ($7,660), Marriott Anaheim ($7,606), another Doubletree listing ($6,008), Gaylord Opryland ($5,308), and the Vail Cascade Hotel ($5,261).

To get to those destinations, school personnel did a significant amount of flying. The Aurora district had 646 transactions with 11 different airlines and air travel websites during the year, including seven that were paid at least four figures.

They were Southwest Airlines ($58,665), United Airlines ($31,816), Frontier Airlines ($24,030), US Airways ($10,797), Delta Airlines ($8,336), American Airlines ($6,862) and Southwest Airlines ($1,877).

Records also disclose that the district had 2,071 transactions at 493 different restaurants or catering services over the course of the year.

The 10 most popular were Dave and Busters ($14,141), Blackjack Pizza ($13,655), Noodles and Co. ($11,885), Chick-Fil-A ($7,307), Qdoba Mexican Grill ($7,118), Pizza Hut ($6,921), Little Caesars ($6,610), Fazoli’s ($6,324), Domino’s ($6,103) and the Colorado Catering Company ($5,767).

Alissa Mack contributed to this report.