Principal resigns amid controversy over missing $30K
SEATTLE -- The Seattle School District is missing $30,000 and a school principal is out of a job, but a bigger question remains: Where did the money go?
It used to be that schools had special funds for things like cheerleaders, school outings or year-end ice cream parties.
Three years ago the school district stopped the practice, not wanting to look like cash was just sitting around waiting to be misused.
It seems the leadership at South Seattle's Van Asselt Elementary School wasn't listening.
"What we have seen here is really a outrageous breach of trust," said Sherry Carr, school board audit chair.
Fresh off the Silas Potter scandal, in which the head of the district's business program was accused of spending $2 million on questionable projects, the district is paying extra close attention to allegations of misuse.
The Potter scandal ended the tenure of superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and drew anger from then school board chair Steven Sundquist.
"This whole thing is outrageous. It is damaging to public trust," Sundquist said.
That's why the school board told Van Asselt and every other school to end the school accounts and turn the money over to the district. Van Asselt principal ElDoris Turner didn't.
"Our employees, our students and our taxpayers don't deserve this sort of thing from our school district employees," Carr said.
The schools asked the Seattle Ethics Board to investigate the missing money.
"We have no evidence that it was diverted to anyone's personal use, but at the same time we have no evidence it was used for district purposes," said Wayne Barnett of the ethics board.
Barnett blames some of the confusion on poor bookkeeping.
"We do not know where the money came from or where it went," he said.
Turner resigned a month ago. KOMO News was unable to reach her for comment.
The case has now been turned over to the police to see if a crime was committed. The ethics board also said two school gyms may have been rented to for-profit groups without district permission, and nobody knows where that money went, either.
It used to be that schools had special funds for things like cheerleaders, school outings or year-end ice cream parties.
Three years ago the school district stopped the practice, not wanting to look like cash was just sitting around waiting to be misused.
It seems the leadership at South Seattle's Van Asselt Elementary School wasn't listening.
"What we have seen here is really a outrageous breach of trust," said Sherry Carr, school board audit chair.
Fresh off the Silas Potter scandal, in which the head of the district's business program was accused of spending $2 million on questionable projects, the district is paying extra close attention to allegations of misuse.
The Potter scandal ended the tenure of superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and drew anger from then school board chair Steven Sundquist.
"This whole thing is outrageous. It is damaging to public trust," Sundquist said.
That's why the school board told Van Asselt and every other school to end the school accounts and turn the money over to the district. Van Asselt principal ElDoris Turner didn't.
"Our employees, our students and our taxpayers don't deserve this sort of thing from our school district employees," Carr said.
The schools asked the Seattle Ethics Board to investigate the missing money.
"We have no evidence that it was diverted to anyone's personal use, but at the same time we have no evidence it was used for district purposes," said Wayne Barnett of the ethics board.
Barnett blames some of the confusion on poor bookkeeping.
"We do not know where the money came from or where it went," he said.
Turner resigned a month ago. KOMO News was unable to reach her for comment.
The case has now been turned over to the police to see if a crime was committed. The ethics board also said two school gyms may have been rented to for-profit groups without district permission, and nobody knows where that money went, either.
