By Philip Navarrette/Staff Writer
Texas Education Agency auditors are going through Cleburne ISD records this week checking on reports of misuse of Title I funds by the district. But there is no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the district, a TEA representative said.
Though TEA has auditors going through CISD records, calling the action an audit may be misleading, Linda Fredlend said.
“An ‘audit’ may be the wrong word,” Fredlend said. “I don’t know if I’d call it that. Sometimes they’re just looking at certain issues. It usually happens as a result of citizen’s complaints about a certain record or records that must be found.”
When the TEA receives a citizen’s complaint concerning the misuse of school funds, the agency investigates it. Often, the investigations involve on-site retrieval of records, Fredlend said.
However, she emphasized that the investigations are typical and there is no evidence of wrong-doing.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong,” she said. “Right now they’re probably just looking into records and doing fact-finding, that’s all.”
The investigation began with complaints sent to the TEA from Cleburne residents about money spent on lodging and meals by Superintendent Robert Damron and the school board during out-of-town conventions and training.
However, district representatives maintain there is no wrongdoing afoot.
“We believe that Cleburne ISD has followed the rules and guidelines relating to the expenditure of federal funds and look forward to receiving the results of this audit,” district leaders said in a press release.
Philip Navarrette can be reached at 817-645-2441, ext. 2337, or reporter@trcle.com.
