KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick announced Wednesday he will begin an investigation "into certain elements of the operational and fiscal management of the Hickman Mills School District."
The investigation comes after a whistleblower complaint that a news release from the auditor's office stated raised concerns about travel expenditures paid for with a school credit card that may not be an appropriate use of school funds.
"We take the submissions to our Whistleblower Hotline very seriously and will do our due diligence to thoroughly investigate the issues that have been brought to our attention in the Hickman Mills School District. Each and every dollar we allocate to the education of our young
people is vital. We want to make sure these funds are spent appropriately and not wasted on items that don't improve educational outcomes for students," said Auditor Fitzpatrick. "I encourage anyone who may have other information that needs to be brought to our attention
during this investigation to contact us through our Whistleblower Hotline."
In addition, the audit will see if there were "problematic purchases of boardroom furniture and the cancellation of a technology contract that resulted in a $1.4 million termination fee for the district."
The south Kansas City, Missouri, school district located about 10 miles southeast of downtown KCMO has about 5,200 students.
The district has two early childhood centers, seven elementary schools, K-5, two middle schools, 6-8 and one high school for students in grades 9-12. It also offers a Real World Center that gives students a chance to learn job skills.
KSHB 41 reached out to the district for comment tonight and we received a statement from the district.
"We are aware of the constituent's complaint and have contacted the Missouri State Auditor's office. We, along with the auditor, are eager to satisfy the constituent’s complaint. Hickman Mills C-1 School District fully cooperates with
the auditor's office as they conduct their review and will provide anything they require. The district just recently received a clean audit from a third-party auditor."
Irene Kendrick
HMC-1 Board President
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