The Montgomery Public Schools Board of Education is expected to announce its choice for superintendent today. However, a recent revelation has added further controversy to an already contentious search process.
According to a report from the Alabama Political Reporter, one of the two finalists for the position, Zickeyous Byrd, is linked to a 2021 fraud investigation related to virtual schools. This development has raised serious concerns about the thoroughness of the selection process, which has already faced backlash from Montgomery officials.
The controversy stems from Byrd’s tenure as superintendent of Conecuh County Schools when the district was implicated in a virtual school scam that ultimately led to multiple convictions and prison sentences for educators in Athens and Limestone.
The scam involved falsely enrolling private school students into virtual public schools to fraudulently claim more than $7 million in state funds. Although several educators were convicted, Byrd was not among them. However, the indictment noted that CCS officials played an active role, including accompanying a private company representative to private schools to collect student data.
Byrd has maintained that neither he nor CCS staff knowingly participated in the scheme. He stated that the district was misled by a company that illegally obtained funds, and once the issue was identified, he worked with the Alabama Department of Education to return the improperly obtained money.
Despite these assertions, Byrd has refused to answer questions about the involvement of other CCS staff members or any disciplinary measures taken.
Related: Montgomery Chamber pulls out of superintendent receptions over lack of transparency
The revelation has frustrated MPS board members, who stated they were unaware of Byrd’s connection to the scandal until an email last week alerted them. They expressed disappointment in the lack of transparency, noting that the information should have been disclosed earlier. Board member Cassandra Brown voiced concerns about the integrity of the search process, emphasizing that the discovery of this information at the last minute left board members with no opportunity to address the issue with Byrd before making a final decision.
Montgomery officials, including the mayor, county commission chairman, and chamber of commerce president, have expressed unease with the search process, highlights a rare instance of agreement among typically opposing viewpoints.
The MPS board is set to make its final decision on the new superintendent later today.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
