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Friday, December 14, 2007
Clayton’s Accreditation Woes Intensify
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Officials at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools are appointing a “special review team” to conduct an on-site investigation of Clayton County Public Schools.
According to a letter from SACS, which was sent to system officials today and obtained by Clayton government reporter Megan Matteucci, the investigative team will make recommendations about whether the system can keep its accreditation.
SACS officials have received complaints from four board members as well as members of the community in recent weeks that have raised serious questions about the school board’s ability to lead the 52,717-student system.
I’m beginning to wonder whether the state — either the governor, Legislature or State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox — will intervene before it’s too late.
UPDATE: For more on Clayton’s ongoing saga, check out Megan’s latest stories from this weekend, including one article explaining the SACS investigation and another about the reasons SACS is stepping in.
Audit: Out-Of-Staters Get Too Much In-State Tuition
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A recent review by the state’s Department of Audits and Accounts found that out-of-state students attending Georgia’s public colleges and universities are getting in-state tuition rates more often than they should.
According to the report released last Friday, “vague policies” and “poor practices” by higher education officials are costing Georgia taxpayers at least $2 million each term.
Auditors determined that more than a quarter (28.1 percent) of the out-of-state students, who were re-classified as in-state students for tuition purposes, shouldn’t have been because there was no proof that they had established residency here.
What’s more, about a quarter (24 percent) of these out-of-staters were receiving the HOPE scholarship — which adds another $73,216 to the state’s tab every term.
According to our story about the review, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr., who oversees Georgia’s 35 public colleges and universities, has promised to ensure that out-of-state tuition waivers are applied only in limited circumstances.
With the next legislative session just weeks away, anyone want to venture a guess as to whether state lawmakers will try to do that for him?
