Report PPS Waste and Fraud
1-800-MIS-USED
I’m tired of PPS claims that they can’t do things because they don’t have the money. PPS is arguing that the district needs to close high schools because they don’t have the $4.5 million necessary to create equitable programs districtwide. Bullshit. They need to quit wasting money and be honest in how they use it.
The Office of the Inspector General is the government agency responsible for investigating fraud, waste or abuse of Department of Education funds. Anyone suspecting fraud, waste or abuse of federal funds can report it anonymously and there are whistleblower protections for employees.
4 comments
Carrie,
Doesn’t this depend on how “waste” is defined? I think that PPS wastes millions on consulting contracts, but couldn’t they just tell the Inspector General that the contracts were “essential”?
Zarwen,
You’re right it does depend on a legal definition of “waste” but the Office of the Inspector General also investigates “misuse” of funds. For example: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now NCLB, has very clear rules about using Title I funds to supplement not supplant. This means that PPS cannot use Title I funds for programs or activities in Title I schools that are funded through non-Title I funds at other schools. One area where this issue often comes up is full day kindergarten. PPS cannot use Title I for full day kindergarten at Title I schools but then use general fund money for full day kindergarten in non-Title I schools. Does that make sense?
As for fraud or waste…what do you think about a department head using district funds to take his staff to movies during the afternoon? It was supposedly for teambuilding.
If district staff actually did what they report in grant monitoring reports, it could make a big difference for kids.
Does the state have an equivalent of this Inspector General?
I’m not sure…maybe the Department of Justice/Attorney General?
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