How Polk Co. funneled $844K to private schools through a corp. despite its ban on religious funding [View all]

Polk County routed $844,000 in public money to nine Catholic schools and one Christian academy in 2012 and 2013 — despite state law and county policies that prohibit public funding for religious institutions.

The county paid out the money in the form of grants to a corporation set up to pass the money on to the schools, a Des Moines Register investigation has found.

The corporation's founder wrote the county Board of a Supervisors, notifying them of the Catholic schools that would receive grant money.

The money was derived from Polk County’s share of gambling revenue generated by the Prairie Meadows Casino and Hotel.

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2018/06/17/polk-county-iowa-private-schools-money-nonprofit-company-law-violation-john-mauro/641795002/