$11K missing from Sanford elementary school account

SANFORD, Fla. — Someone has been illegally writing checks from a Seminole County elementary school's account since May.

9 Investigates discovered more than $11,000 missing from Goldsboro Elementary School's account.

Channel 9's Karla Ray asked school leaders why it took so long to notice what was happening.

Goldsboro Elementary in Sanford is closed for the summer, but someone with access to the school's bank account has been having a payday since May.

It took weeks for anyone to catch on that $11,000 in unauthorized checks had been cashed.

Denise Dennison's grandson goes to the school.

"It's really a shame, you know. Somebody with that responsibility around our children would be that deceitful to do something like that right under our noses," Dennison said.

She said she worries whoever is stealing money may have access to him and other kids.

"It makes you wonder if they're doing enough background checks on employees that are around our children," Dennison said.

Instead of stealing individual checks from the school checkbook, whoever is responsible made copies of the checks, and because the amounts were all less than $100, the bank didn't notice.

The district didn't, either. WFTV found out the books are only balanced once a month and the school does not have online banking.

"Certainly l would agree if you have online banking you can do those checks a lot more frequently, but I'm not sure if the finance department will institute any new procedures at this point," said John Reichert with Seminole County Schools.

"Well, I would do it weekly personally, I can't imagine business-wise what they're thinking not having that under control," Dennison said.

The good news is the account is protected and the bank will reimburse the money.

WFTV will keep monitoring the story to find out if police catch the culprit.

WFTV