After auditors found a $14,000 discrepancy in school funds, Leaguetown parent/teacher association (PTA) treasurer Mary Burns is facing criminal charges and up to 10 years in jail.

“I know Mary has been having some health problems,” PTA finance officer Jeannette Lumpkin said. “that doesn’t give her the right to take money that doesn’t belong to her.”

Since last fall contributions to the PTA has been disappearing, it started with the loss of $2,000. Lumpkin and other PTA staff members had assumed it was Burns since a lot of the donations were in cash.

“Mrs. Burns seems to be a caring person. I guess she got frustrated because she couldn’t provide for her family like others could, and she saw a temptation and took it,” Junior English teacher Marilyn Lenk said.

They first noticed the disappearance when the junior English class was scheduled to go on a trip, unfortunately with the lack of money they couldn’t. Some juniors found out about the theft later on.  Most students were not pleased.

“I feel sorry for Mrs. Burns’s son, Jack, because he’s having to take the heat of his mom stealing all that money,” Junior James Grigsby said.

The schools took this as a sign to warn all parents that contribute to the organization about theft and about the control they have over the PTA.

“We would certainly prosecute if we found a school employee who was taking activity funds,” the superintendent of schools Curtis King said.

The organization felt bad when they found out that one of their friends would deceive them and the students like that and so easily.

“We decided to pursue charges in order to stop her from doing this to other people,” Lumpkin said.

The organization didn’t want to accuse anyone of the crime but after the audit they knew it was Burns. The teachers and principal are supportive of the PTA charging Burns with theft.

“Something we were afraid would tear our school apart actually brought the school and PTA together,” Leaguetown PTA president Sydney Long said.