Governor criticizes education agency on after-school money

(AP) — Gov. Phil Bryant is calling for immediate action by the state Board of Education to remedy misspending of federal money that's threatening the state's ability to fund after-school programs.

Superintendent Carey Wright last week told the state board that she was suspending federal money for after-school programs, after Department of Education officials mishandled grant money and tried to cover up mistakes by wrongly dipping into another pot of federal funds.

Chandler wrote in an email that Bryant wants "a thorough and independent review of the internal controls covering grant proceeds and other expenditures to determine if other problems exist within the Mississippi Department of Education."

Earlier this year, Bryant vetoed a bill that would have extended the department's exemption from civil service rules, partly over concerns that Wright's reorganization was creating too many highly-paid executives.

Bryant, along with most lawmakers, also attacked Wright's initial decision to follow federal guidance to allow transgender students to use a bathroom consistent with their current gender identity.