A former treasurer of the PTO for Richland Elementary School in Giles County has been indicted for theft.
Officials with the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office said an investigation uncovered that Amanda McMilin stole at least $5,649 from the PTO.
According to reports, McMilin kept cash that was collected during fundraisers, including a fall festival, a bake sale, concession operations, and the sale of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and candy-grams.
Authorities said McMilin failed to deposit the cash into the PTO bank account. She allegedly didn’t deposit any of the money at all from July through November of 2015.
Investigators said she admitted to them that she took money and used it to pay for personal expenses. After being confronted about the missing funds by PTO members and school officials, McMilin resigned from the position in January 2016.
McMilin was indicted in April 2017 on one count of theft over $2,500.
“While it may be tempting to let a PTO treasurer handle all money matters, it greatly enhances the possibility of theft,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. “PTO’s must ensure there is oversight. The simple act of reviewing bank statements could have stopped this theft in its tracks.”
According to state law, school support organizations have been required to follow a financial policy in order to provide basic checks and balances to safeguard money and other property.
The full report in this case can be viewed by clicking here.
