San Antonio Independent School District is investigating at least five tutoring services that may have committed fraud. The companies are accused of requesting money for providing services to SAISD students that may not have been tutored.
The five companies have received about $240,000 from SAISD, some of which may have been requested fraudulently.
The names of the five tutoring companies are not being released by the district. SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price said the district officials were alerted after parents stated they requested tutoring when some of the companies had already sent invoices to the SAISD.
"Those companies have received cease-and-desist letters to not have any more service provided until the investigation is complete,” Price said. “We are going to be looking at some additional companies too."
That list of companies contains 130 tutoring services eligible to receive the funds. SAISD provides money to tutoring services as part of the Supplemental Educational Services Program under the No Child Left Behind Act.
"We provide free tutoring services to eligible students through a state approved list of providers," She added. "Parents actually choose which providers they want, we then set-up a contract with them and pay the provider."
Not all students and schools are eligible to participate; however, SAISD has eight schools with students who qualify. Both the Department of Education and TEA have been notified.
