LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Snohomish County prosecutors have charged a former PTA treasurer with first-degree theft for stealing more than $37,000 from the organization between December 2013 and August 2014.
Charlotte Hess, 40, was the treasurer for the Martha Lake Elementary PTA.
The current PTA president, Shelby Reynolds, said Hess apologized to her.
“She has admitted that she’s at fault,” Reynolds said.
According to court documents, Hess stated it was a result of her gambling addiction.
“It’s a disease. And it’s sad. And particularly sad in this case that it had an impact, even slightly, on the kids at this school,” Reynolds said. “It's heartbreaking to think that those funds were being misused in any way.”
The PTA funds activities like field trips for kids who cannot afford them, supplies, and scholarships.
“We were in the negative in a couple accounts for a while,” Reynolds said.
It shocked some parents today.
“I think that's horrible,” Julie Froehlich said.
“I submitted receipts and the check that was issued to me bounced,” she said.
Reynolds said Hess wrote out checks to cash and even paid her rent once straight from the PTA's account.
KIRO 7 went to Hess’s home in Marysville but a man said, “No comment,” and closed the door.
Froehlich said she’d like to see stricter security measures when it comes to how the PTA handles money.
“We do things to support the PTA,” she said. “To hear that… that’s really disappointing.”
Reynolds said improvements are already in the works. She said the PTA did a complete financial review when she took office this past summer. She also said the PTA has switched to a new bank that ensures it reviews each check for the two required board member signatures.
“It's our goal to be transparent in how money is spent,” she said. “We’ve increased the number of activities we’re doing, we’ve increased volunteerism at the school. We’re just trying to rebuild that trust in people.”
She said Hess has repaid “90-percent” of the original $37,325.57 but the PTA is still working to get back another chunk the board discovered missing, which she would only say is in the thousands.
Hess is scheduled to appear in court later this month.
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