Attorney General Long Asks for Audit of the South Dakota Coalition of Schools

PIERRE, S.D. - Attorney General Larry Long announced today that he has asked the South Dakota Auditor General to perform an audit of the South Dakota Coalition of Schools, the organization that voluntarily agreed to be dismissed from the pending school funding litigation. "The South Dakota Supreme Court has held that a school district does not have standing to challenge the constitutionality of a statute passed by the South Dakota Legislature and cannot fund such litigation when brought by private individuals. Therefore, this office believes that it is improper and illegal for school districts to finance such a lawsuit," Long said.

The Attorney General’s Office mailed the original letter to the Auditor General on May 7, 2007, and copies were mailed to superintendents of all South Dakota school districts on May 8th. The Attorney General also asked the Governor to issue an Executive Order directing the Auditor General to audit those school districts which may have provided funding to support the litigation.

Copies of the Attorney General’s letter to the Auditor General are available at the Attorney General’s Office.

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