BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana State Treasurer John C. Fleming, M.D., said a new investigative audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor confirms the value of transparency measures implemented by the State Treasury, after the report found more than $600,000 in questionable spending by the former Orleans Parish charter school Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning.
“The publication of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s investigative audit report, which confirms misuse of public funds totaling more than $600,000 after Noble Minds school relinquished its state charter, vindicates the Louisiana Department of Treasury’s steadfast commitment to shining a spotlight of transparency on how Louisiana K-12 school educational funds are spent,” Fleming said.
According to the audit, after Noble Minds voluntarily surrendered its charter, the school continued using public funds for noneducational purposes, including lease payments and $238,000 in consulting fees labeled as “fundraising,” “wellness,” and “professional development.” Other expenditures cited as potentially improper included $25,585 for a cocktail party, Mardi Gras parade passes, and VIP tickets to a festival event.
Fleming said the findings validate the Treasury’s Louisiana K-12 School Transparency Project, created under Act 370 of 2023, which requires school governing authorities to publicly disclose financial data. The initiative, launched in 2024, was designed to identify irregularities and improve public accountability in school spending.
“This investigative audit validates what our department initially discovered through our painstaking data analysis, namely, that Louisiana’s hard-earned tax dollars must be protected and that transparency is an essential check against waste, fraud, and abuse,” Fleming said.
The Treasury’s transparency project has since helped flag questionable transactions and led to further investigations. Fleming said his department will continue monitoring financial reporting by school systems, local governments and state agencies to ensure proper use of taxpayer funds.
“I want to commend the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office for their thorough work and look forward to continued collaboration to ensure financial integrity across all state and local entities,” he said.
The full audit report is available at LLA.La.Gov.