SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - South Dakota State Auditor General spoke yesterday to legislators about federal grants given to the beleaguered Mid Central Educational Coop and passed to GEAR-UP.
Marty Guindon says the state received $18 million in federal funding between 2006 and 2015, with $11 million going to Mid Central.
Guindon says it was a federal grant with a required match, either in-kind or cash. He says that could have included local in-kind, state spending or state in-kind to match the amount. He says that would be the entire amount of cash from the federal government that would have been involved in the program.
Guindon told committee member Senator Stace Nelson that the full report will be released next month. Guindon appeared before the Government Operations and Audit Committee of the legislature on Tuesday.
He says his office continues working with Mid Central on the audit. He says they put together a group of people including financial people, current director, board members, legal counsel to help his office clear the reports.
Mid Central has until May 19th to respond to the audit report.
Mid Central consists of a group of school districts, forming a cooperative that offers a "variety of regular and special education services for children. GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program.
