Okolona School District Fiscal Troubles Spelt Out
District interim leader told Mississippi education officials the district once could not make payroll and remains without a completed audit since 2021.
Chad Spence, identified as interim superintendent of the Oklahoma Separate School District, told the Mississippi State Board of Education on Sept. 18 that the district had faced serious money troubles. "We experienced financial difficulty the district where we were unable um to meet payroll and severely threaten our day-to-day operations as a district," Spence said during a board update on the district's state transformation status.
Spence said the district has not completed a successful audit since 2021. He told board members the district has cut $1.1 million in spending since January and has set up a repayment plan for money owed to the state, though he cited figures of both $1.5 million and $300,000 in connection with that repayment. He said financial consultants now review the district's business office daily.
The district was placed in state transformation status for the 2025-26 school year. Board members received the update as part of routine oversight of districts under that designation, which is intended to address persistent management or financial problems in local school systems.