With a hearing today on a potential state takeover of Memphis schools, a parent advocacy group calling itself Memphis Life released a statement about recent audit findings.
In a statement provided to the media, Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director of Memphis Lift, said:
“While lawyers argue over what to call this report, Memphis parents are focused on what it uncovered. The state’s independent forensic audit identified $54.2 million in transactions consistent with evidence of potential fraud, waste or abuse, another $65.1 million involving potential violations of district policies and procedures, and widespread failures in governance, contracting, oversight and accountability. Those findings cannot be explained away with legal technicalities.
“The people bringing this lawsuit are trying to divert attention from the real issue. Based on an annual per-pupil allocation of $12,773, $54.2 million is equivalent to an entire year of MSCS’s budgeted investment in more than 4,200 students. Imagine 4,200 Memphis children standing together and then tell their parents that the money that could have supported their education is too small to matter.
“Call it an audit, a review or a consulting engagement. Parents call it proof that the system failed to protect money intended to educate children. The question is not whether $54.2 million looks small compared with a multibillion-dollar budget. The question is how many students those dollars could have served and why the adults responsible for protecting those resources failed to do so.”
A judge previously issued an order pausing the state’s planned takeover of Memphis schools by way of a state-appointed board.
