A former Folly Quarter Middle School employee charged with embezzling about $10,000 from the school?s activity fund is scheduled to stand trial July 25 in Howard County Circuit Court.
Ethel Collette Kirk, a former secretary/bookkeeper for the Howard County School System, was accused last year of writing numerous checks to herself and forging the required signature on them. She is also accused of destroying the canceled checks and falsifying documents in the school?s records.
Her attorney, Robert Keehner, said he believed in her innocence.
Kirk?s trial was postponed from April 25, and Wayne Kirwan, director of community justice and public information for the Office of the State?s Attorney for Howard County, said the delay may have been related to Kirk showing up late for a pretrial motions hearing. A bench warrant had been issued for her arrest after she failed to show up for the hearing, but it was withdrawn when she arrived later in the day.
Kirk worked for the school system from March 2003 to June 2005, according to a news release by the school system.
Folly Quarter?s principal raised concerns about the school?s activity account last spring.
Kirk resigned from the school during an investigation of the missing funds. Since the incident, all school bank statements are reconciled at the school system?s central office, said Diane Mikulis, School Board vice chairman.
The School Board also hired a new internal auditor, John Connors, who is spending more than half of his time reviewing school activity accounts. His first school auditing plan includes auditing one-third of the system?s 70 schools through June 2007. The remaining two-thirds will be audited in subsequent years, said Mikulis.
At a glance
The trial for Ethel Collette Kirk will take place at 9 a.m. July 25 at the Howard County Circuit Court, 8360 Court Ave., Ellicott City.
