A composite image shows Southlake Foundation President Kush Rao and promotional material for the Feb. 1, 2025 fundraiser tied to Carroll ISD’s Special Olympics program | Images via Facebook
Questions have arisen in Southlake around the Southlake Foundation and its president after two sources with direct knowledge told DX he withheld proceeds from a February 2025 fundraiser intended for Carroll ISD’s Special Olympics program and did not send payment until after learning of The Dallas Express investigation into the missing funds.
Public records show the Southlake Foundation was in tax forfeiture in February and March of this year, is listed as “inactive” as a legal entity as of last month, and “forfeited existence.” Questions remain about how the foundation paid some of the missing funds to the district earlier this month given that status. That and other questions will be updated as part of DX’s ongoing investigation.
Southlake Foundation President Kush Rao promoted the Feb. 1, 2025 gala as sold out ahead of the fundraiser tied to Carroll ISD’s Special Olympics program | Screenshot via Facebook.
Southlake Foundation Event Sells Out But Where’s the Money?
The fundraiser, held Feb. 1, 2025, sold out and was publicly praised by Southlake Foundation President Kush Rao. Two sources with direct knowledge told DX the event raised at least $9,000 intended for Carroll ISD’s 2025 Special Olympics event, but the funds were not delivered to the district at the time they were expected. A public information response from the district also indicated no responsive records showing receipt during the period covered by DX’s request.
District leadership had already been trying to track down the missing funds before The Dallas Express sought comment from Rao, according to two sources with direct knowledge. Those sources said emails exist between district officials and Rao regarding the missing funds, though DX has not yet obtained those records.
In one email exchange with district officials Rao acknowledges not sending the money raised for the event to the district. DX is aware of the details of the content of that email exchange, but is pending publishing until the responsive documents have been received from the district and the subjects involved provided an opportunity to comment.
“The Check Is In The Mail” – Over A Year Later and After Rao being alerted to DX Investigation
When reached for comment earlier this month after learning DX was investigating the missing funds, Rao told DX by phone that the check “had been mailed to Carroll ISD yesterday,” more than 14 months after the fundraiser and months after the Special Olympics event it was intended to support.
The district later confirmed that some funds had been transmitted following DX’s outreach, but people familiar with the matter said the payment amounted to less than half of the money raised. That leaves questions about what happened to the rest of the funds intended for Carroll ISD’s Special Olympics event.
Rao referred additional questions to another foundation board member, Laura McCaskill, but she did not respond to DX. McCaskill is the wife of Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill.
Public Records Lead To More Questions About Rao’s Personal and Business Financial History
Public records also show federal tax lien release filings associated with Rao on his personal residence in Southlake which shares an address with a now defunct business, ProEd Solutions, LLC (DBA “ProEd Abroad”). That business is now listed as defunct.
Another Rao business, Metapro, an H-1B IT staffing company, also shows filings tied to Rao’s Southlake address, as well as in Grapevine and Overland Park, Kansas, where the business is listed as “not in good standing.”
The Southlake Foundation’s address is also registered at Rao’s same personal home address.
DX will update this story as its investigation continues.
