A preliminary hearing that will decide whether Marble City School's suspended superintendent will stand trial for embezzlement has been delayed as officials await the results of a state audit of school records.

Larry Duane Couch, 54, of Vian was charged in August with one count of embezzlement of public funds after investigators uncovered that Couch had allegedly taken $100,000 from the school for a personal land purchase.

An ongoing audit has since uncovered $500,000 in questionable expenditures at the school, audit officials have said.

Kyle Waters, assistant district attorney, indicated Thursday that the audit report is the reason for the delay. He said Couch's Thursday preliminary hearing was postponed because both sides wanted to wait until the auditor's report is complete.

Terri Watkins, spokesperson for the state auditor's office, said Thursday that the audit report is still in progress. "We're still working on it," she said.

Watkins indicated that they hope to have the report turned into the district attorney's office by the first of January or mid-January.

In early December, the Marble City School Board voted to suspend Couch without pay and appointed a new interim superintendent, Billy J. London of the Nicut community north of Muldrow. London has nearly 40 years of experience in education, according to his resum