Possible Fraud Investigated at Oklahoma City After-School Tutoring Program

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Federal authorities are investigating possible fraud involving an after-school tutoring provider at Oklahoma City Public Schools, district officials said.

The focus of the investigation is whether students at U.S. Grant High School were really being tutored after school and whether the district was falsely billed for students who did not receive tutoring, according to district spokeswoman Tierney Cook.

The OKCPS administration received information about the possible fraud in April and notified Oklahoma City police.

"We can say that we were provided with information that prompted us to contact authorities immediately so over the past few months we've been working with the federal investigators and also the local police on getting the information we need to proceed," said Cook.

Police investigators turned over their findings to federal authorities, who are interviewing teachers and students.

Both the district and the Oklahoma State Department of Education said they are cooperating to assist in the investigation.

Administrators explained the district contracts with multiple supplemental education services providers. All contractors are approved by the department of education, and they are paid an agreed upon fee per student.

Though these tutoring services are free to the students and their parents, someone has to pay for the tutoring. That is where the No Child Left Behind Act comes into play. The Oklahoma Department of Education gets federal money to help these students who's schools have been identified. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools.

According to their website, the Oklahoma Department of Education spent more than $3.7 million last year on Supplemental Educational Services.

There were 24 schools in Oklahoma with students receiving these services. Though the website states more than 13,800 students are eligible for this free assistance, only 3,887 have applied.

Neither the district, nor the department of education would confirm which of the approved providers is at the center of the investigation.

As a result of the investigation, after-school tutoring has been suspended this school year across the Oklahoma City school district.

More: See the Complete List of Supplemental Educational Services Providers