State audit slams former regional education office

SPRINGFIELD — An audit released this week of the former regional office of education for suburban Cook County reported widespread fiscal mismanagement throughout the agency.

The office was abolished last summer, though, after the former regional Superintendent Charles Flowers was arrested on corruption charges.

The audit was in progress before the office was closed. It details credit card misspending and major accounting problems.

“In the current and previous fiscal years, there were questionable uses of regional office funds, which contributed to the financial problems of the regional office,” the audit reads in part.

After the office was abolished, its responsibilities were shifted to several regional service centers in the county, including one in northern Cook County. An audit of that office that was also released this week contained no negative findings.

Robert Ingraffia, executive director of the northern Cook office, said all regional education offices continue to have problems, though, because state money is flowing slowly.

“You can only operate so long when they’re not sending us money,” he said.