District investigating mishandling of public money at Portland's Jefferson High | OregonLive.com

District investigating mishandling of public money at Portland's Jefferson High | OregonLive.com

District investigating mishandling of public money at Portland's Jefferson High

By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

May 21, 2010, 11:11AM

Portland school district officials are investigating possible mishandling of money at Jefferson High School and have placed the principal and business manager on paid leave after a routine audit of a $200,000 account managed by the school found chronic sloppiness in spending, contracts and receipts.

Matt Shelby, spokesman for the school district, said today that when the school district's auditor conducted the routine review this spring, she "found enough red flags" that she notified district leaders, who "then decided to widen their scope and look at other accounts."

As reported Thursday, Jefferson Principal Cynthia Harris and school business manager Reis Wilbanks have both been put on paid administrative leave. Deputy Superintendent Toni Hunter has been put in charge of the school. Neither Harris nor Wilbanks could be reached for comment.

In her report to district leaders, auditor Amoy Williamson wrote that