(NewsReady.com) – Paris, Illinois, is a small town of just under 10,000 people near the Indiana border. It’s not a town that often makes national news. However, it was recently thrust into the spotlight when FBI agents descended on the home of the school superintendent.
On June 13, local news reporters spotted FBI agents going in and out of a home. The agents removed boxes and bags of potential evidence from the residence. Journalists looked up property records and discovered the house belongs to Paris Union School District 95 Superintendent Jeremy Larson. The FBI confirmed a court-authorized investigation was taking place at the residence.
The next evening, the Illinois State Board of Education issued a statement explaining that a routine audit of the school district revealed more than $3.2 million “in questioned costs, unallowable expenditures and unallowable salaries.” According to a report dated June 14, the alleged improper spending dates back a couple of years.
During the fiscal year 2021, the audit found questionable spending totaling $600,577. The next year, there was $989,034 that raised suspicions. Further, the Nutrition Department found the food service account was charged $1,539,769.11 in unallowable spending and unauthorized salaries totaling $113,840.
The board informed the FBI of the problem because federal grants were involved. The district has until June 30 to present an action plan that corrects the problem.
Minnie Milam, a concerned parent who has an eighth grader in the district, told the local news that she spoke to her son about what happened at the superintendent’s home. She explained that she wanted to make sure he didn’t believe rumors. The mom said her son told her that Larson is supposed to be a role model for kids his age. Milam responded to him by telling him to wait until they know all of the information before passing judgment.
While the federal agency won’t comment on the specifics of the probe, a spokesperson did say there was no reason for parents to be concerned for the safety of their children.
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