The State Auditor’s Office revealed Tuesday that the Lowndes County School District did not properly use Title I funds during the 2012-2013 school year.
In an email Monday, State Auditor Stacey Pickering said during an audit of the district, his office discovered Title I funds had not been monitored correctly and had been carried over into the next school year.
The Dispatch does not know the amount that was improperly allocated.
Title I is federal funding received by local school districts, allocated for specific purposes for student enhancement and growth.
Pickering said the audit was routine and thanked the district for cooperating.
“These audits are designed to identify and correct any financial and compliance issues found within the school district,” Pickering said. “I thank the Lowndes County School District for their cooperation during this audit.”
School Board president Jane Kilgore said to her knowledge, the situation has been corrected. Kilgore deferred all other questions to superintendent Lynn Wright. Wright was not available for comment but in a letter to Pickering, Wright said the error was discovered prior to the audit and the funds were returned to the Mississippi Department of Education.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.