'Sloppy Bookkeeping' at School for Disabled Not Criminal: Prosecutor

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An investigation into a Rockville school staff’s “sloppy bookkeeping” that mishandled work-study payments to students has turned up no criminal actions, according to a report.

The Washington Post says Montgomery County prosecutors reviewed Rock Terrace School and bank records, and more than 7,030 transactions involving nearly $70,000. The review found no misappropriation of money for personal gain by staffers.

The school, which serves students with disabilities, was under investigation by the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office for nearly two years after parents of the special-needs students came forward— some of them unaware that bank accounts had been established for their children.

School system officials maintained that there was no intent to take money from students, but instead a poorly managed school.

Prosecutors said the money was used for student programs.

“This has been a pretty stressful situation for parents, for staff. It’s complicated. It’s messy,” said school board member Phil Kauffman in January 2014. “We had sloppy bookkeeping. We had pretty lousy financial management for what went on here. I know we’ve said from the get-go that we wanted to restore trust with parents and the community. I’m not sure whether or not this plan does this but I think that it’s the best we can do under the circumstances of having incomplete records.”

Montgomery Public Schools also conducted its own investigation. Larry Bowers, then the MCPS chief operating officer, said in 2014 it didn’t appear as though Rock Terrace staff intentionally defrauded students.

“However, the investigation did reveal that the program at Rock Terrace was very poorly managed and that the money was inappropriately used to support educational programs at the school,” Bowers said.