Former Limestone County Superintendent Tom Sisk was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on April 8, 2021 to conspiring to defraud the United States government.

According to Doug Howard, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “Thomas Michael Sisk was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons will determine where he will be placed when he reports to their custody. I am not sure if the Judge has ordered a date for him to report yet.”

In addition, Sisk was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and restitution in the amount of $13,000. Howard also added that there is no parole in the federal system.

Within Sisk’s plea agreement, Sisk acknowledges his participation in a complex scheme, with co-defendants former Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay and former Athens City School principal and administrator Rick Carter, that began in 2016. The plan gave Athens City and Limestone County school systems the appearance of increased enrollment figures through their virtual school options leading to additional funding from the Alabama State Board of Education.

“It is unfortunate that he is in this situation but it is of his own doing and his own admission of guilt. As far as I know, there is no appeal process once you have already admitted guilt,” Dr. Wayne Reynolds, Alabama State Board of Education District 8, said.

Reynolds also wanted to reassure the community that Athens City and Limestone County has no debt for repayment obligation and that the whole investigation was done by the federal government and federal court.

“It’s very discouraging to me, professionally, when any superintendent is found guilty of inappropriate activity with public monies,” Reynolds said.

Holladay will be sentenced Thursday, July 21, 2022.