Ashley Adela Niess, 26, who worked as a bookkeeper for Pasadena's Memorial High School, is accused of using various schemes to take the money earmarked for student activities.
According to court documents, one of the schemes involved Niess collecting cash from student fundraisers, entering a lesser amount in record books and pocketing the difference. Investigators with Pasadena ISD police say Niess took between $45,000 and $68,000 during a period from October 2011 to April 2012.
Niess resigned her position after the Pasadena school district began an audit of her work. The school distict reimbursed the student activity fund, so that no student activity or club would suffer from the theft.
The district is also offering "cashless" ways to donate to student groups and they have given lock bags to student organizations to safeguard money until it is deposited.
Niess is charged with theft by a public servant. Her bond was set at $60,000.
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