District Used COVID-relief Money for Athletic Field Maintenance

Oklahoma City, Okla – State Superintendent Ryan Walters has issued the following statement as Mid-Del Schools will be forced to repay more than a half million dollars in misspent federal relief funds following an administrative hearing at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

“Mid-Del Schools and its Superintendent, Rick Cobb, have been dishonest at every turn about how it used federal funds destined for the classroom on athletic fields,” said Walters. “This was a clear misuse of taxpayer dollars from the beginning. Instead of coming clean immediately, Cobb chose to continue sidestepping the law and both federal and agency policy. The district failed taxpayers by not employing adequate financial controls while making decisions that appear to be tainted by nepotism.

I am proud that my administration is rooting out financial impropriety like this, and we will continue to work every day to make sure every dollar of taxpayer money goes toward benefitting Oklahoma students.”