The Val Verde Unified School District (VVUSD) in Riverside County is under intense scrutiny over its partnership with a private boarding school in China. Questions are mounting after a state audit found evidence that diplomas may have been issued fraudulently.
Beginning in 2016, VVUSD teamed up with Pegasus California School in Qingdao, China, allowing Chinese students to obtain California high school diplomas from within their home country. The program was billed as an effort to help expand international educational opportunities and generate revenue for the district.
According to the audit, there is no proof that the students completed the necessary coursework or met required standards to receive these diplomas. Investigators found evidence of fraud, misuse of public funds, and possible bribery. Program operators and affiliated individuals made political donations to local and state officials, raising conflict-of-interest concerns…