State Maintaining Grants with Platte Educational Cooperative

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's education chief says a financial examination hasn't found issues with an educational cooperative's administration of federal grants beyond a college-readiness program already under scrutiny.

Secretary Melody Schopp said Wednesday the Education Department reviewed grant relationships with Mid-Central Educational Cooperative after a murder-suicide involving two cooperative employees.

Mid-Central previously administered the federal GEAR UP college-readiness grant. Schopp says the department worked with Mid-Central for several years to address financial concerns before declining to renew the contract in September.

Schopp says her department in mid-October completed a risk assessment of grants with Mid-Central other than GEAR UP.

The state is maintaining other grant relationships with the cooperative as long as Mid-Central complies with extra accountability conditions.

A state auditor is also examining grants and contracts between Mid-Central and the state.

Source: State Maintaining Grants with Platte Educational Cooperative