DENVER – Denver Public Schools officials plan to ask taxpayers for additional funds in 2016 to help cater to the district’s growing student population, Chalkbeat.org reports.

That request is a ways away, but it’s in the works to address space limitations that have caused conflicts between schools that share the same buildings.

DPS witnessed a surge in enrollment in recent years from about 72,000 students in 2004 to nearly 89,000 this year, according to the news site.

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Those opposed to the tax proposal are bound to dig around and look for ways the district could spend its current revenues more efficiently.

They are bound to come across hotel and restaurant spending, which might be pretty difficult for district officials to defend.

DPS spent nearly $1 million on hotels and lodging for district staff last year, as well as almost $500,000 for airfare and another $550,000 on restaurants and off-campus food vendors. Other transportation costs – such as shuttles, taxis, parking fees and public transportation – cost taxpayers an additional $575,000.

In total, DPS official spent $978,514 with at least 340 different hotel or lodging vendors last year, including more than $1,000 at 157 of those locations.

Records show a significant number of hotel charges right in the district’s home state of Colorado. That list includes hotel charges in Denver, Colorado Springs (90 minutes away), Aurora, Lake George, Pueblo, Crested Butte, Broomfield, Beaver Creek, Coronado, Copper Mountain Breckenridge, Englewood, and Keystone.

Perhaps some or even all of those charges were for legitimate reasons. We’re sure there are at least some voters who would like to hear the rationale.

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There were also hotel charges all over the nation – West Valley City, Utah; Newark, N.J.; Torrance, Calif.; Burlingame, Calif.; Tahoe City, Calif.; Los Angeles; San Diego; San Francisco; Las Vegas; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; New Orleans; Orlando; Cincinnati; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Boston; Fresno, Calif.; Anaheim, Calif.; Columbus, Mo.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Tucson, Ariz.; Allen, Texas; Brookline, Mass.; San Antonio; Greenbelt, Md.; Tempe, Ariz.; Houston; Albuquerque, N.M.; Philadelphia, Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, Kansas City, Princeton, N.J., Nashville, Atlanta, Portland, Minneapolis; Saint Louis; and many others.

The biggest hotel charges were paid to Denver’s Crowne Plaza Hotel for $287,743, the vast majority of which was spent on Aug. 13, 2013.

Other significant tabs were paid to Denver’s Springhill Suites for $33,372, the Springhill Suites in Hawthorne, Calif., for $19,500, Hotel Del Coronado for $18,688, Hilton Hotels for $14,682, Beaver Creek’s Hyatt Hotel for $14,664, the Hilton in downtown Newark, N.J. for $14,358, the Wyndham Hamilton Park Hotel in Florham Park, N.J. for $14,315, Holiday Inns $12,132, Copper Mountain Resort for $10,529.

The district also spent $10,212 at Las Vegas’ “ultra chic” Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino, and $10,100 at the Lexington Hotel – “a midtown Manhattan luxury hotel.”

School employees took trips to about 120 different U.S. cities in total, with airfare coming to $498,543 – $9,177 of which was “agent fees.” The district spent $147,144 with United, $142,802 with Frontier Air and $139,247 with Southwest. Roughly $60,000 was spent among seven smaller airlines.

Other types of transportation costs, such as taxis, shuttles, parking fees, and public transportation, cost taxpayers an additional $576,978, while car and truck rentals totaled more than $19,000. Another $87,623 was spent on travel agencies.

Restaurant and other non-school food expenses accounted for $551,987 in district spending last year. DPS’ credit card statements and check registrar listed payments to a total of 812 different off-campus restaurants or food providers.

DPS spent more than $5,000 with 12 restaurants, between $1,000 and $5,000 at 88 others, and less than $1,000 with the remaining 712 establishments.

The biggest beneficiary was Jason’s Deli, which received a total of $106,861 through two different vendor accounts, followed by Einstein Brothers’ online catering service at $33,417, and Blackjack Pizza at $22,101.