Company sees retaliation in Kansas ending literacy grant

The president of a company that saw Kansas cancel its grant for a public elementary school literacy program is disputing the reasons state officials are giving for the action.

Andrew Hysell told reporters Monday that he believes the Kansas Department for Children and Families is retaliating against Washington-based Hysell & Wagner for refusing to agree to changes after signing a grant extension in late June.

The department announced Friday it had ended the Reading Roadmap grant that started in 2014 and once was worth more than $9 million annually.  The department said it found questionable spending and a failure to control administrative expenses.

Hysell said the claims are false and accused the department of abusing its authority. He said the department wanted changes in how funds are distributed to schools.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.