Enterprise Elementary’s PTA is still working to recoup over $13,000 that the association’s former treasurer allegedly embezzled from funds that were collected during various fundraisers in October 2018.
PTA co-president Audra Edmiston said the PTA is “diligently working” to recover the association’s resources. They had a successful rummage sale in March, and they will be having their annual Spring Carnival and Silent Auction from 6-8:30 p.m. on April 26.
“We would like to thank the community for their patience and respect during this unfortunate event as well as for their continued support going forward,” Edmiston said in an email to the Mirror, noting their April 26 event is open to anyone in the community.
She added the PTA helps support many things for the students such as student planners, playground and physical education equipment, grants for music, library books and supplies, and fun outings like their free family movie night.
Since the alleged theft, the PTA has also enhanced their financial processes and procedures, “and we are working to ensure that this does not happen again,” Edmiston said.
King County prosecutors charged the former treasurer, Krysta L. Goold of Bonney Lake, with two counts of second-degree theft on April 2 in King County Superior Court.
The allegations came to light when the school’s PTA president and secretary reported the incident to police in November 2018.
The PTA members related that since Goold became treasurer in February 2018, they had discovered approximately $13,474 missing from the PTA’s Bank of America checking account, according to court documents. Over $4,117 in cash was missing from a walk-a-thon, $500 cash from a fill-a-truck event via Goodwill, $4,000 from a silent auction and $2,000 from a Scholastic book fair, according to police documents. The board members told police all of these events were held as fundraisers for the PTA and the cash was turned over to the suspect to deposit into the PTA’s bank account.
The board members said the suspect also wrote herself two checks, one in the amount of $1,393 and the other for $1,462. The suspect was unable to explain why she wrote the checks to herself and did not provide the board any receipts indicating that she was owed the money, according to the police report. Both of those checks included forged signatures of two of the PTA board members, court documents continue.
Both board members made repeated attempts to ask Goold to explain herself and provide a financial statement or return the money. On. Nov. 16, 2018, the PTA board wrote a letter to Goold, advising her of “anomalies with our funds” and stating that they would notify the Washington State PTA, according to charging documents. The board advised her that they “discovered that a public storage bill was paid for through our PTA account” and Goold’s name was associated with the bill payment of $91. The board also advised Goold that a financial review would be conducted immediately.
Goold resigned on Nov. 20, 2018, stating in a letter: “I am mentally unfit for this position this point in my life,” charging documents continue.
In a second letter that Goold sent to the board the following day, she said she had looked through boxes and “only found a few things that I know are missing.” She stated that “at this time I don’t just have the money to replace what has gone missing, but would be willing to make arrangements until I find it I know I failed at keeping it safe,” according to court documents.
The court issued a warrant for Goold’s arrest on April 15 when she failed to appear for her arraignment.
More information
The Enterprise Elementary PTA’s Spring Carnival and Silent Auction will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. April 26 at the school, located at 35101 5th Ave. SW, Federal Way. For more information, visit Enterprise Elementary PTA’s Facebook page.
