A former middle school majorette coach at Germantown Middle School allegedly stole more than $1,400 in student fees she wasn’t legally allowed to keep.
This, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released Tuesday.
The school system terminated that woman, Vicki Anderson, earlier this year. The Shelby County Grand Jury indicted her last month on one count of theft over $1,000 and two counts of official misconduct, according to a Comptrollers’ press release.
“Anderson collected at least $2,000 from students in May 2018 when she hosted a one-day summer camp at a local hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The Shelby County School District was not aware the camp was being held, and Anderson was not authorized by the district to hold the camp or collect money from students,” the press release said.
“Investigators determined that Anderson spent $582 for six hotel rooms and food. She kept the remaining $1,418 for herself. The school district not only requires prior authorization for activities held over the summer, it requires any money collected to be deposited with the financial secretary of the school. Anderson was trained on proper financial procedures for school support organizations in August 2017.”
Germantown Middle School is a fully-accredited public middle school, serving students in grades six through eight, according to the audit.
The school is one of 25 middle schools operating in the Shelby County School District. Courses at GMS are designed to provide students with opportunities to see greater academic success and to prepare for college and career goals, the audit went on to say.
The Internal School Accounting Act provides boards of education and school principals with authority and responsibility for the administration and safekeeping of all internal school funds. The Act allows boards of education to authorize student activity and other internal school funds and establishes such funds to be the property of the respective schools, according to the audit.
The Act also makes school principals liable for the safekeeping, management, and accounting of all student activity and other internal school funds in accordance with The Tennessee Internal School Uniform Accounting Policy Manual and guidance established by each respective board of education.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Germantown Middle School” by Germantown Middle School.
See they told us – teachers just do not get paid enough.