TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Polk School Secretary Accused Of Embezzlement

ADVERTISEMENT

By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 6, 2008

HAINES CITY - A secretary for Daniel Jenkins Academy in Haines City was arrested Monday, accused of embezzling more than $62,000 from the school.

Terri Beadle, 44, of Haines City, worked as the secretary of Daniel Jenkins from 2002-2007.

During that time, she claimed 2,965 hours of unapproved overtime and was paid $62,659.06, according to a report from school district investigator David W. Lyon.

Most of those hours were never worked, school district officials said. The misappropriation was discovered last year, and Beadle lost her job.

She was arrested after attempts to secure restitution from her failed, said Ron Ciranna, the school district's top human resources official.

According to the report, Beadle had responsibility for entering payroll figures in the school district's payroll system.

School district employees are paid monthly. During her five years at the school, she averaged 41 hours of overtime per monthly pay period, according to the figures in Lyon's report.

"The amount of hours she submitted steadily grew month by month until this was discovered," Lyon said in his report.

Beadle managed to avoid detection by two different principals, who placed too much trust in her, said Ciranna. The current principal, Eileen Killebrew, was reprimanded regarding the incident, Ciranna said.

Beadle is also accused of stealing $820 from a school book fair, according to Lyon's report.

Daniel Jenkins Academy is a middle and high school. The older students take classes online through the Florida Virtual School, while middle schoolers have a mixed online and teacher-based curriculum focused on math and science.

Beadle was released Monday on $20,000 bond, according to Polk jail records. She could not be reached for comment today.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT