District officials at Middel Schools learned Wednesday that the school is owed $573,588 in local or state allocations following allegations of improper spending from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The ministry said in a statement that it was found that Middel schools had spent emergency aid funds for elementary and middle schools on “athletic lawn services.” State officials declared the expenditure unforgivable and the district was required to repay the expenditure.
“Mid-Dell broke the public's trust and spent more than $500,000 on pet projects instead of addressing the immediate academic needs of our students,” State Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a statement. Ta.
The police department reached its conclusion after an on-site inspection on March 28. However, district officials said they had no advance notice of the violations.
“The expenditures are consistent with federal guidelines and OSDE staff's understanding,” the district said in a statement.
Middel school officials claim guidance regarding funds not available for athletic facilities was not released until Dec. 7, 2022, six months after funds were last used for “athletic field turf services.” are doing.
Due to confusion related to the department's investigation into the district's federal spending, Mid-Del Schools filed a public records request with the state Department of Education asking it to provide all emails related to Mid-Del Schools' federal programs.
“We will comply with their request to return the funds and work with the Office of Title Services to reallocate the funds in a manner they deem acceptable,” the district added. “Following receipt of this letter, we will also review our purchasing policies and procedures.”