The Sabine Parish School Board confirmed that it was the victim of an email phishing scam that resulted in a loss of $251,972. According to the district, the funds were mistakenly paid to a fraudulent account rather than the intended vendor.

The incident was identified and reported to the appropriate authorities, and an investigation was immediately launched. Multiple state and local agencies have been notified and are actively involved in the investigation. The district’s external auditor has reviewed the matter, and the school board has implemented additional safeguards to prevent future phishing attacks.

A claim has also been filed with the district’s insurance provider in an effort to recover the lost funds.

The compromised funds were part of a school safety grant totaling over $375,000. The grant was awarded to support the installation of weapons detection systems at all school campuses. Despite the phishing incident, the district reported that the safety project was completed using both the grant and district funds.

The school board emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability, but noted that due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, it is unable to release further details at this time.