1 min read

Official: Federal Agency Approves Change To GEAR UP Grant

Associated Press0

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A state official says the federal government has approved South Dakota’s request to have the Board of Regents manage a college-readiness grant under scrutiny after an apparent murder-suicide.

Tony Venhuizen is chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Venhuizen says the U.S. Department of Education has notified the state of the approved change.

The GEAR UP grant aims to improve Native American college readiness in South Dakota. Its future had been uncertain since the state declined to renew its contract with Mid-Central Educational Cooperative for program administration.

Authorities believe Mid-Central employee Scott Westerhuis shot his wife and four children last month before shooting himself. That was just hours after the state informed Mid-Central it was losing its most recent contract.

A federal Education Department spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.
Website http://ap.org/

Related Posts