Montana News
Audit raises questions over Office of Public Instruction spending
With Montana News, I'm Eleanor Smith. An audit of Montana's Office of Public Instruction raised questions over how the agency spent more than $67 million in federal funding. The report says the agency couldn't produce all their receipts and needs to improve. MTPR's Shaley Rager reports. State auditors say the agency in charge of running Montana's K through 12 public schools didn't consistently track its spending and submitted incorrect paperwork in some cases. The report also found disparities in the distribution of special education dollars. The legislative audit division says that a windfall of federal pandemic relief money required additional review. Auditors offered recommendations for five programs that lacked transparency in their funding. State lawmakers on the legislative audit committee expressed frustration that superintendent of public instruction LC-Arnson did not attend their meeting in person. Arnson later appeared over Zoom and said her agency is working to adopt the audit recommendations. Arnson has termed out of the position and will leave office in January. In Helena, I'm Shaley Rager.