Audit Raises Concerns on Special Education In BIA-Funded Schools

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, or BIA, could not adequately account for more than $100 million in funding for students in special education in schools on American Indian reservations, according to a recent audit by the inspector general’s office of the U.S. Department of Education.

The auditors also expressed concern about the rest of the federal education funding—about $217.3 million—the Department of the Interior agency received during the period examined in the report, July 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2003. Since the BIA had been unable to properly monitor its special education funding, there may be similar problems with some of its other education programs, including Title I grants for disadvantaged students, the March 28 report says.

“Based on the issues related to the administration of special education, we concluded that other federal education programs could be affected by the weaknesses,”...