Adamsville Area School May Return $99,628 Due to Cheating Allegations

Fain Elementary School in the greater Adamsville community may be required to return more than $99,000 in federal money earned with falsified test scores, according to a report Wednesday evening on AJC.com.

All 44 schools where state investigators suspect cheating occurred on the state's 2009 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) were recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools, meaning they made adequate yearly progress (AYP) three years in a row, Matt Cardoza, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, said in the story.

According to the AJC, state data shows most of the schools received awards ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.

But Fain, 101 Hemphill School Rd., and D.H. Stanton, in the Peeplestown area in East Atlanta, each were awarded $99,628 from 2005 to 2009, state records show.

The state investigated 56 schools and found evidence of cheating at 44. The Atlanta Public Schools system is comprised of 104 schools. The 800-page report was made public by Gov. Nathan Deal last week.

If the schools are found to have made AYP due to CRCT cheating, refunds probably will be sought, Cardoza said.

He didn't say when the state will make that decision.