State audit uncovers theft of Indiana schools' lunch funds

VALPARAISO, Ind.—Valparaiso schools was forced to change its procedures for accounting for money collected under a federally funded lunch program after an audit by the State Board of Accounts revealed a former employee allegedly took $37,750 for personal use over a period of about a year.

The audit, released earlier this month, covered the period from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2013. The discrepancies were found in the Child Nutrition Cluster program. The food service worker failed to deposit and record daily receipts of the school breakfast and national school lunch programs, the audit states.