THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS – GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Danville Area Community College President Randy Fletcher at a board workshop meeting on Thursday.
DANVILLE — Programming that’s continued for more than 60 years and served more than 400 area residents annually with GED testing and other skills is slated to end for the foreseeable future at Danville Area Community College as the Adult Education program has lost its funding.
DACC President Randy Fletcher said part-time faculty and other personnel who are impacted by the funding elimination were told Wednesday.
The college issued a press release on the topic Thursday night after the Illinois Community College Board earlier that day released a report from its May 27 on-site review that includes 14 compliance findings, more than $100,000 in funding to be reimbursed to the state and a list of corrective actions needed.
DACC officials acknowledged the report cited repeated offenses of funds mismanagement, missing attendance reports and fabricated test scores within the Adult Education program’s Adult Basic Education and Innovative Bridge and Transition grant programs for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 as the determining factors for halting the state and federal funding to DACC.
The programs operated with a $500,000-plus budget and will cease operations on Sept. 30.
“The loss of funding will have a significant impact on adult learners who depend on the college for basic skills instruction, GED preparation, English-language learning, workforce readiness and pathways to further education and employment,” said Penny McConnell, DACC’s vice president of academic affairs. “The news of the state report findings is devastating to the community and to our students.”
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Discrepancies found in hundreds of student records
DANVILLE — The Illinois Community College Board’s investigation of Danville Area Community College’s adult-education program identified discrepancies in 158 student-assessment records in fiscal year 2024 and 138 in fiscal year 2025.
The investigation found most student files didn’t have testing documentation to verify reported assessment scores reported, or files weren’t provided for review.
The compliance findings require the college to submit a corrective action plan to be approved by the state board.
Among the findings:
- DACC failed to maintain adequate records for program accountability.
- The Fiscal Year 2025 Quarter 5 Report, originally due April 30, 2026, was not submitted and remained outstanding.
- DACC failed to maintain adequate documentation of personnel expenditures.
- DACC has unsubstantiated personnel costs.
- DACC failed to seek prior approval for budget revisions before the deadline stipulated in the agreement.
- DACC failed to maintain adequate attendance documentation and support for reported attendance hours.
- DACC did not comply with National Reporting System attendance requirements.
- DACC maintained inadequate documentation and oversight of distance-learning instruction.DACC maintained inadequate documentation and oversight of distance-learning instruction.DACC maintained inadequate assessment documentation and inaccurately reported assessment results.
DACC maintained inadequate data-management and record-keeping procedures.DACC’s adult education program has been under investigation amid allegations of misappropriation of funds since earlier this year, with staff being dismissed and further auditing taking place.
Fired Adult Education Dean Terry Goodwin has said the grant payments in question flowed through the institution payroll and finance system and were approved.
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