Former St. Cloud school employee charged with stealing from student groups
A former employee of St. Cloud's Tech High School is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from a student activities fund.
Allison Tadych, 44, of St. Cloud, was charged Wednesday in Stearns County District Court with one count of felony theft by swindle.
According to the criminal complaint, St. Cloud police began investigating a complaint in September about funds missing from the activity accounts. Those accounts are set up for student groups to collect money raised through fundraising and donations.
Investigators learned that Tadych, a bookkeeper at the school, was responsible for those accounts. She would enter the checks and cash into a software program based on coaches’ handwritten receipts, then prepare the money to be deposited in the bank.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Tadych resigned in June. During a fiscal year-end review, school officials discovered discrepancies between the amount entered into the software program and the amount deposited in the bank.
According to the complaint, Tadych told investigators she would deposit the checks and take cash whenever she needed it. She planned to pay it back, but resigned when she knew she wouldn't be able to.
The school district said since the discovery, it has tightened oversight of student activities accounts and cash transactions.