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GAO: Bureau of Indian Education Needs to Improve Oversight of School Spending

November 1, 2014

Pursuit's Take

BIE, within Interior’s office of Indian Affairs, oversees 185 schools, serving about 41,000 students on or near Indian reservations.

Unlike public schools, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools receive almost all of their funding from federal sources. BIE directly operates about a third of its schools, and tribes operate two-thirds. According to BIE data, all of the BIE schools received a total of about $830 million in fiscal year 2014: about 75 percent from the Department of the Interior (Interior), 24 percent from the Department of Education (Education), and 1 percent from the Department of Agriculture and other agencies.

External auditors identified $13.8 million in unallowable spending at 24 schools as of July 2014. Further, in March 2014, an audit found that one school lost about $1.2 million in federal funds that were improperly transferred to an off-shore account.

Media Coverage

Education Drive: Ambitious plans to improve Native and indigenous ed meet skepticism

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Federal agencies go largely unchecked, spending at will making use of inflated budgets. While some do very important work, we need to hold them accountable. You can do this by donating, emailing your legislator, or signing our petitions.

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