A former secretary at North Laurel Elementary School was indicted last week for theft of almost $5,000 in fundraising and tuition money, according to Delaware State Police.
Troopers said 40-year-old Wade Bryan was in charge of collecting money for the school’s pizza fundraiser and preschool tuition in the summer and fall of 2021. In November, some parents who contributed to the fundraiser reported that their donation checks never cleared their bank accounts, police said.
After some investigation by school officials, it was discovered that “many” fundraising checks weren’t deposited, district superintendent Shawn Larrimore wrote in a statement. None of the cash donations were deposited either, Larrimore said, nor was the money in the school safe as Bryan claimed.
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District administrators then conducted an internal audit of all financial responsibilities that Bryan oversaw, state police said. They reportedly found that when Bryan collected preschool tuition, he only deposited the checks and kept the cash payments for himself.
He ultimately stole almost $3,200 from the pizza fundraiser and $1,775 in preschool tuition, according to Delaware State Police. He turned himself in after police executed a warrant, state police and court records showed.
Larrimore said Bryan was placed on leave and prohibited from the elementary school campus. He did not disclose whether Bryan is being paid.
Public records show that Bryan filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and has frequented court for debts and unpaid taxes. He is scheduled to appear in court in April.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
