Kentucky's new education commissioner has denied any knowledge of a police investigation into a missing file in the Illinois school district, where she's the outgoing superintendent.

Barbara Erwin will retire July 13, 2007, from the Saint Charles Illinois School. She was hired in May amid controversy regarding her resume and criticism of her performance at other districts. She will begin her duties as Kentucky's education commissioner on Monday.

Erwin told the Lexington Herald-Leader she knows nothing about the police investigation because she's been out on the country. The newspaper story says the Illinois district's Board of Education has been cited for violating open records law when it met in closed session to amend Erwin's contract.