BRADENTON – The Manatee School District's review of unauthorized spending related to its 2009 sales tax bond will now be turned over to law enforcement, according to district officials.

In June, the district's internal audit firm asked MCSB attorney Mitchell Teitelbaum to review irregularities they had found, regarding how some of the money had been spent.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, Teitelbaum said he was required by law to report the information to police, who will decide if an investigation is warranted.

The internal audit by Shinn and Co. of Bradenton found improper spending from a $45 million sales tax bond issued in 2009. Around $8 million was spent on things not authorized by the bond issue, while $3 million in additional spending was undocumented.

related:

Improper Spending of 2009 Bond Issue Likely to Set School District Back Further

Newly discovered errors are latest in a string of past misdeeds hampering district finances