Fourth graders sit at their classroom tables in Oklahoma City. A new government watchdog report raises concerns about oversight of education spending and absenteeism data. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
With billions in K-12 education funds at stake, a recent governmental oversight report highlights significant concerns about the suspension of key monitoring processes by the U.S. Department of Education. The suspension has led to fears of increased vulnerability to financial misconduct in schools across the nation.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan congressional watchdog, issued a report expressing unease about the halted oversight, which affects the management of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funding. This pause in monitoring, according to the GAO, jeopardizes efforts to detect waste, fraud, and abuse of educational resources.
The Department of Education clarified that the suspension of the consolidated monitoring process, initiated to ensure compliance with ESEA requirements, was to facilitate the development of a new strategy. However, the department has not yet provided a timeline or alternative plans for resuming these crucial reviews as of August.
The implications of this suspension are significant, particularly for Title 1 funding, which constitutes about two-thirds of the $27 billion allocated under the ESEA for 2025. Title 1 funding is crucial for supporting schools with high numbers of students from low-income backgrounds.
States receiving Title 1 funds are obligated to create accountability systems and report chronic absenteeism data, defined as students missing 10% or more of school days. However, the suspension of the consolidated monitoring process, which began in 2019, has left half of the states unmonitored.
The GAO report also highlights issues with absenteeism data, pointing out that some schools reported rates exceeding 100%, attributed to mismatched reporting periods for absenteeism and enrollment numbers. This issue is more prevalent in low-performing schools and those offering career and technical education programs.
“As a result of suspending consolidated monitoring, Education will not be able to systematically assess whether states are complying with ESEA requirements and following their approved state plans,” the report stated.
The lack of reliable absenteeism data undermines the ability to assess educational interventions aimed at reducing absenteeism, which has been linked to declining academic performance. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic absenteeism has remained elevated, affecting at least a quarter of K-12 students.
Discrepancies were notably higher in schools where enrollment is more variable, such as shared-time schools where students divide their time between different schools. More than 30% of these schools reported unrealistic absenteeism rates, compared to less than 2% of other schools.
The report found stark contrasts among states. In Pennsylvania, for example, 98% of shared-time schools reported implausible absenteeism rates, while in states like Delaware and North Carolina, no such discrepancies were found.
These findings highlight the urgent need for reliable data and effective oversight mechanisms to ensure educational funds are used appropriately and to support efforts in addressing chronic absenteeism.
This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Daily Montanan, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
