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Under Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters, the education department鈥檚 management of funds was hampered by long delays, 鈥渓ate or nonexistent communication鈥� and internal disagreements, a said Tuesday.

The investigation, prompted by complaints from districts and the public, and led by the GOP-led House, cleared Walters of any misconduct and found no missing funds. 

But Walters and his staff frequently put off asking for clarification when issues were ambiguous, often took months to correct mistakes and left districts in the dark about accessing funds. 

The department 鈥渃ould have allayed districts鈥� concerns with communication in advance of delays or as soon as a problem was identified,鈥� the report said.

Critics say the Republican state chief has neglected his duties, focused on culture war controversies and prioritized his own political career as top officials left the department.

Much of the back-and-forth between lawmakers and agency staff focused on what districts viewed as an in getting preliminary estimates of Title I funds for high-poverty schools. In previous years, districts received those figures in the spring, allowing them time to recruit and hire staff. The drawn-out timetable left districts 鈥渦nderstandably upset,鈥� said the report, describing Walters鈥� staff as 鈥渙verconfident鈥� in their position that there was no delay. 

 Walters, however, took a defiant tone during a two-hour session before the oversight committee Tuesday.

鈥淭his is a waste of time for the people of the state of Oklahoma,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have been transparent in everything that we do.鈥�

He attributed the hold-up to fraud prevention efforts and cited the department鈥檚 success in stopping one unnamed district from using federal dollars to renovate a 鈥渇ourplex鈥� owned by the superintendent. Dan Isett, department spokesman, did not respond to a request for more details.

State officials informed districts of the extra fraud precautions by email, Walters said. 

鈥淲e can’t make them read emails,鈥� he said. 

Democrats, however, seemed dissatisfied with the superintendent鈥檚 explanations.

鈥淚 wonder if the concerns cited by our districts will continue to be met with derision, to be quite frank,鈥� said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, who represents Tulsa, home to the state鈥檚 largest school district.

The investigation sought to understand the 鈥渂reakdown of communication,鈥� said Regina Birchum, the oversight agency鈥檚 interim director. 鈥淎ll we wanted to do was try to bridge the gap.鈥�

The agency surveyed districts about their concerns, but only about a third responded 鈥� proof, to Walters, that most districts have no complaints with the department. But Birchum added that some superintendents declined to complete the survey for fear of retribution.

Provenzano pressed Walters on whether he would follow the recommendations of the report, which include promptly reviewing legislation to identify potential confusion and improving communication to districts. He only said his office was reviewing them.

Thoughts on answers at the LOFT hearing:

It wasn’t my fault.
Everyone else is lying.
Blame the feds.
The legislature was unclear.

Am I missing anything?

鈥� Rick Cobb (@grendelrick)

Request to attorney general

While the report focused on five programs that districts and lawmakers complained about, including funds for and emergency , another Democrat, Rep. Meloyde Blancett, wants the oversight committee to expand its investigation into other issues. Those include for political purposes and which are receiving funds through the state鈥檚 tax credit scholarship program.

Republican Rep. Kevin Wallace, a co-chair of the committee, said he鈥檒l leave that request up to new leaders in the legislature. 

Blancett, however, has also asked Attorney General Gentner Drummond to offer a legal definition of 鈥渕alfeasance鈥� to 鈥渃larify the conditions under which legal action may be warranted.鈥� 

Drummond鈥檚 office has not yet responded.

The report also examined what happened with $150 million in school security funds lawmakers approved last year in response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. 

While it took six months to do so, the department initially told districts they could roll over unused funds from one year to the next in case they were reserving the money for a large security upgrade. Then the department reversed that guidance, sparking complaints to lawmakers. 

It took an opinion from Drummond, issued in August, to clear up the matter, but Walters鈥� lack of urgency in seeking clarity and miscommunication within the department were among the issues the oversight agency found 鈥減roblematic.鈥� 

鈥淎gency departments were not communicating clearly with each other, which resulted in incorrect communications to school districts,鈥� the report said.

Provenzano鈥檚 questioning also pointed to one area where there still seems to be a misunderstanding among Walters鈥� top aides. She asked whether payroll savings would be used to purchase Bibles for classrooms 鈥� something Isett, the department spokesman, told reporters. 

鈥淲e’ve never stated that,鈥� Walters said.

She also asked whether communication with districts might improve if the department filled vacant positions. But that seems unlikely. 

鈥淥ur goal,鈥� he responded, 鈥渋s to shrink government.鈥�

In fact, following the meeting, he issued another demand in keeping with what he has as his 鈥渁ggressive, offensive agenda.鈥� In , he insisted Vice President Kamala Harris turn over $475 million as reimbursement for educating immigrant students in Oklahoma, even though prohibits denying an education to non-citizens. 

Harris鈥� office did not respond to a request for comment.

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