By Christina M. Wright
The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. —
The CEO and board spokesman for a local organization tasked with running a federal early learning program said Tuesday that a recent federal report had “a couple erroneous things in it.”
“We’ll comment to the proper people about those inaccuracies,” said William Raymore, of the Madison County Urban League. “The accuracy on what you (The Herald Bulletin) reported is based on what they reported.”
Raymore added he had only briefly reviewed the 14-page report released Monday from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, and needs “to digest what it is saying.”
The report, based on a four-day June review, described 10 areas where the Urban League Board of Directors is deficient as grantees of the Madison County Head Start program. The grantee must correct all problems, which range from policies to financial record keeping, within 90 days.
The board must also fix two noncompliancy issues within 120 days.
Several of the deficiencies in the report relate back to fiscal officer Sue Scott. When asked Tuesday whether those areas caused concern about Scott’s abilities, Raymore said, “It didn’t cause any concern. Like I said, there are inaccuracies.”
The report notes that six months of 2009 financial records are not available, which is against a rule to keep records for at least three years.
“That’s not correct,” Raymore said, declining to comment further. “You weren’t here when the review team was here.”
Raymore, though appointed as the board’s spokesman, said he could not comment about whether the board of directors is planning to meet to discuss the report.
He also said board chairman Freddie Thurman is out of town.
The Monday report comes after months of concerns about the local Urban League’s management of the Head Start program. What started as parents upset their children could not go on a Chuck E. Cheese’s field trip has snowballed into fiscal and management concerns.
Although the report heavily scrutinized every aspect of the Urban League’s management, an online petition to force Raymore and his board out did not gain any steam in the 24 hours after the report’s release. It remained at 67 signatures Tuesday night.
Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.
