State auditor: Mississippi Department of Education did not maintain Office of Dropout Prevention

State auditors have claimed the Mississippi Department of Education did not maintain an Office of Dropout Prevention.

In 2006, the state legislature voted to create the office.

State Auditor Shad White’s office claimed ODP has not had a director, which has been required by law, since 2009.

The agency created a Statewide Dropout Prevention Plan, but auditors claimed employees listed as being responsible for the prevention were not aware of the plan.

MDE also reportedly changed the way graduation rates are calculated by no longer counting “repeaters,” or students who needed to repeat 12th grade.

Auditors claim this skewed the state’s graduation rate.