Former Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Teacher Under Investigation for Financial Improprieties Related to School PTO and Junior Class Accounts

ROCKFORD- A former special education teacher in North Iowa is under investigation for financial improprieties related to a school district PTO and junior class accounts.

According to an investigation report from the state auditor’s office issued on Tuesday, Deb Kadera, a former teacher in the Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock school district, improperly handled the financial transactions of the PTO and district’s junior class accounts during a ten year period from May 2009 to January 2019.

The district requested the state auditor conduct the investigation after they were notified in January 2019 that the district PTO account was overdrawn by a former PTO member, whose name was still on the PTO’s bank account as well as questioning Kadera as to why she had not submitted any cash collections from a recent junior class fundraiser.

The special investigation by the state auditor identified $18,086 that was collected but never deposited, another $3,783 that was improperly disbursed and another $3,162 of unsupported disbursements from the PTO accounts. Around $2,400 of the improper disbursements were to Kadera’s personal bank accounts, while $1,360 were in other payments.

Kadera also made transfers of $2,475 from her personal account to the PTO account and three checks totaling $3,745 were also deposited in the PTO account, according to the investigation. In a written statement by Kadera in January 2019, which was included in the report by State Auditor Rob Sand, Kadera said those payments were done to pay back money she and her husband had taken from the PTO account.

Kadera also in 2019 said that she had not made any deposits for the junior class fundraiser because she kept the cash in her classroom but had not turned it in because it was missing. It totaled $390 which she said she would repay.

Kadera was placed on paid administrative leave in January 2019 and she later resigned. Copies of the report were sent to the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Floyd County Attorney’s Office and the state attorney general. The Floyd County Sheriff had been investigating the alleged financial improprieties and continues to do so. Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

You can view the full report from the state auditor’s office: CLICK HERE