Audit: Stay in School program benefitted mostly wealthier families who did not qualify

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Audit: Stay in School program benefitted wealthier families and gave preferential treatment to five schools

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A program designed to help private school families that, “faced hardship or challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” wound up mostly in the hands of families that did not qualify.

Part of the nearly 250 pages of State Auditor Cindy Byrd’s report released yesterday highlighted a program called Stay in School.


It was intended to hand out a maximum of $6,500 per student for families that needed tuition assistance because of the pandemic and the economic downturn.


The report indicated that $5.3 million (55% of the total funds) were given to 1,073 families that, “were not facing economic hardship due to the COVID -19 pandemic and the associated economic shutdown.”

With the majority of money not going to the targeted families, “SAI noted that 657 students of families that appeared eligible were denied the SIS award as funds were no longer available.”

Stay in School was one of the programs administered by now-State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

--------

“It appears that individuals responsible for the administration of the Stay in School and Bridge the Gap program allowed 486 applications to be inappropriately submitted prior to the public go-live date/time of August 10, 2020, at 7:09am,” said the audit.

https://kfor.com/news/local/audit-stay-in-school-program-benefitted-wealthier-families-and-gave-preferential-treatment-to-five-schools/

[FakeNoose]

1. It's Oklahoma! Probably the "deserving struggling" parents never even found out about the program

... until after it was already sucked dry by the wealthy families who didn't need the funds.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. So ... what are they going to do to make it right?

[cbabe]

3. Who is Ryan Waters? Moms for Liberty friend

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218053185