Taxpayers have forked out more than $11,000 on US education expert Henry Johnson's trips home in the past eight months.

The $250,000-a-year consultant — brought to Bermuda last August to transform public schools — has flown business class back to the States every month since last November at a total cost of $11,277.50.

Dr. Johnson's two-year contract gives him the perk of a monthly business class return airfare home as well as a housing allowance of up to $7,000 a month.

The amount spent on his private travel was revealed on Friday by the Ministry of Education in answer to parliamentary questions put by Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons.

The Ministry also disclosed that Dr. Johnson does consultancy work for clients outside of Bermuda three days a month. Dr. Johnson, a former education secretary in US president George Bush's administration, was brought to Bermuda to implement change in the Island's ailing public schools after the damning Hopkins report was published.

Dr. Gibbons told The Royal Gazette he asked questions regarding the consultant, a former maths and science teacher and principal, to clarify the overall cost to the taxpayer of his appointment.

"We knew that he was making $250,000-a-year for a two-year term," said Dr. Gibbons. "That is not a bad remuneration by anybody's standards.

"I was trying to clarify what the other benefits were. That hadn't been disclosed before.

"It was really an effort to tie up what I'll call the outstanding questions.

"I think I have a better understanding of the overall package now.

"The jury is still out on whether we'll be getting value for money. We'll have to wait to see whether there is an improvement to the school system.

"At the moment, only the Minister and the Ministry will know whether they feel they are getting value for money."

Education Minister Randy Horton has previously said Dr. Johnson is worth every penny. "He has a mammoth task and is charged with turning the system around. He has two years to do this.

"Previously he has worked in other jurisdictions and did a stellar job in those districts. He is no novice at this kind of task."

Dr. Johnson has accompanied Mr. Horton on one business trip to New England, US, since he was hired, at a cost of just under $4,000.

The Ministry said in its response that education consultant Anthony Witherspoon had not travelled at Government's expense since he was hired in 2005.