School Theft May Have Been Inside Job: Principal

The principal at The Education Center in Aubrey said she thinks the theft of hundreds of dollars from her office over the weekend could be an inside job.

The elementary students in the small Denton County charter school had been raising money to building a bigger and better playground. Shelby said students had raised anywhere from $600 to $800.

Currently, the school’s playground consists of mostly of equipment donated by parents in the district, principal Samie Shelby said during a telephone interview Tuesday.

The school is not funded by property taxes like most districts. It receives money only based on its attendance from outside sources.

“We think the someone left a door or window open,” Shelby said of the theft.

Shelby said the person who stole the money knew right where to go, and nothing else was taken.

Investigators were able to lift fingerprints and are actively looking to catch the ne’er-do-wells, she said.

Shelby said she has told a few students about the stolen money and is hoping to have a letter penned in time to send home with students Tuesday.

“[The students I told] were very upset about the theft,” Shelby said. “They’ve worked hard to raise this money.”

The Education Center is a charter school in Aubrey with just 140 students K-12 on one campus.

Anyone who knows about this theft should call the Denton County Sheriff's Office at 940-349-1660.

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