DeKalb County schools said Thursday an internal audit found evidence a former bookkeeper at Lithonia High School might have embezzled about $46,000 of student activity funds.
“The employee was immediately terminated and arrested by the DeKalb Police Department,” district spokesman Quinn Hudson said in a written statement. “Our investigative files have been turned over to the DeKalb district attorney for prosecution.”
The bookkeeper, Stephine Barkley, is now out on bond from the DeKalb County Jail after being arrested for theft by taking. She has promised to repay the money. She signed an affidavit admitting stealing about $15,000 - she wasn’t sure of the exact amount, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“I began to take deposits to pay my rent and to pay day care bills for my children,” Barkley wrote in the affidavit. “It was almost like an addiction to take money from the deposits.”
The superintendent’s office assured that Lithonia High School students participating in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities will not be negatively affected by the missing funds.
Some parents say there should be more checks and balances over the money.
“I think that there maybe should be more than one person overseeing it, maybe multiple people,” Donice Edwards told the news station.
The district said the internal investigation into unaccounted for funds will continue. Superintendent Michael Thurmond directed the district’s audit and compliance unit to undertake financial reviews of all schools with significant cash flows. He also ordered training for bookkeepers and a review of procedures “to ensure that this type of incident will not re-occur,”the statement said.
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