VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The supervisor of a Volusia County elementary school after-school program has been charged with stealing nearly $6,000 meant to fund activities for children, deputies said.
Mary Coppen, 46, was in charge of the Timbercrest Elementary after-school program, which offered tutoring and activities like arts and crafts for students, officials said.
According to a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Coppen initially told school officials that she didn’t know where the money had gone.
She later said she borrowed $200 from the program’s funds, deputies said.
Over the course of a month, she is accused of taking nearly $6,000.
No one answered at Coppen’s home, but neighbor Carmen May was upset to hear about the accusations.
“My grandchildren are in schools and participating in extracurricular (activities),” she said. “Band and things like that. It’s expensive. It’s not free. Parents give money so their kids can participate."