After a complaint from the San Antonio Independent School District, the Texas Education Agency has suspended or put on probation several tutoring agencies that may have committed fraud.
SAISD filed its complaint in February, claiming several tutoring agencies were falsely submitting names of students they may not have tutored for reimbursement of more than $280,000.
The TEA maintains a list of more than 100 tutoring companies that are entitled to receive school district funds as part of the No Child Left Behind Act and parents choose from that list.
In a resolution from the TEA, six agencies are being disciplined.
One tutoring service - 1 to 1 Computer Tutoring – was removed from the list for one year because of the complaint. They will, however, have the option to re-apply.
Three other companies - Diverse Links, Wise Links, and Variations Educational Service - were put on a six month probation, but SAISD is cancelling their involvement with the district.
Two other companies were also removed from the list for other violations along with the district’s complaint and SAISD plans to submit a seventh complaint against Education Advantage after it found the company had falsified documents.
Through public records requests, some of the tutoring companies responded to the original complaint. Many of them cited individual tutors incorrectly submitted student names, in some cases knowingly.
