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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced former school superintendent Bill Brand has pleaded guilty. Brand was indicted and arrested in August of 2021 for False Representations to Defraud the Government. Brand falsified student attendance records for October and November of 2020. Brand used a school district employee’s Student Management Account without their knowledge to falsify the records to the Mississippi Department of Education. The falsification of records was an attempt to increase the funding provided by the state to the school district.
“As we have seen this week at Jackson Public Schools and other school districts around the state, falsifying education data like test scores or attendance records is harmful and wrong,” said Auditor White. “Bad, fraudulent data misleads the public about the state of our schools. If attendance records are falsified, it costs the taxpayers money. It’s important for students to actually be in schools and learning, not be a mirage on a false attendance record.”
Brand was prosecuted by District Attorney John Weddle. Brand’s sentencing order has been filed with the Alcorn County Circuit Clerk’s office for public inspection.
Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.
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