WestChesterBuzz.com

Heather Schoell-Schroeder. Photo provided.

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Lakota East teacher charged with prom fund theft- A Lakota East High School teacher was charged last Monday with a misdemeanor count of theft in connection with missing money from the school’s prom fund. Heather Schoell-Schroeder, 45, of Liberty Township was charged after she and her attorney met with sheriff’s investigators.

Lakota high school softball teams eliminated from postseason – Both the Lakota East and Lakota West softball teams lost district semifinal games last Monday afternoon. The Firebirds lost to Northmont at Fairmont by the score of 5-1, while Lakota East fell to Fairborn at West Carrollton by the score of 3-2.

Suzanna Davis. Photo provided.

Lakota East names new principal- For second time this spring, the Lakota Board of Education voted unanimously to promote one of its associate principals to the position of high school principal for the 2012-2013 academic year. Suzanna Davis, who has served as the associate principal at the Lakota East Freshman Campus since Aug. of 2007, will replace Keith Kline, who is leaving at the end of the school year to take the assistant superintendent job in the West Clermont Local School District.

Lakota East honors student athletes with signing day event – Lakota East High School honored nine student athletes last Wednesday during its spring signing day event. Among those recognized include Jacob Landers (Baldwin Wallace College, wrestling), Ivan Thomas (Kentucky Christian University, football), Tyler Overberg (College of Mount St. Joseph, golf), Morgan Weinheimer (University of Mississippi, volleyball), Jeff Mundy Jr. (Kentucky Christian University, football), Tanner Lyons (Centre College, track and field), Aleth Pashi (Otterbein University, basketball), Jacqui Tackett (Mount St. Joseph, lacrosse) and Molly Blomer (Nova Southeastern University).

Lakota West students unveil new design for school website – After five months of work, Lakota West students showed off their new design for its official high school website last Wednesday in front of classmates, teachers and Lakota administrators in the high school’s theatre. The redesigned lakotawesthigh.com launched after the presentation made by students from Lakota West’s web design 2 class.

Police investigating dog hanging in West Chester – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Wednesday that a local woman claims that she found her dog hanging by its neck from a tree in her yard in the 8900 block of Lesourdsville-West Chester Road on May 10. The West Chester Police Department is investigating the complaint reported by Sherry Faber on the morning of May 13, despite not seeing the dog.

Circle K suspect. Photo provided.

Police investigating a report of public indecency– WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Thursday that the West Chester Police Department is looking for a man, who entered a local Circle K Gas Station and exposed his genitals to the clerk on May 5, according to Crime Stoppers.

Gunman robs UDF in West Chester – The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Friday that police were searching for a gunman who held up United Dairy Farmers, 8976 State Route 747, according to emergency communication reports. The suspect entered the convenience store just after 6 a.m., brandished a gun and demanded cash.

Moeller eliminates Lakota high school baseball teams from postseason – Twice last week, Moeller eliminated a Lakota high school baseball team from the postseason. On Thursday, Moeller defeated Lakota West by the score of 11-2 in the sectional finals. Then on Saturday, the Crusaders eliminated the defending Division I state champs in Lakota East by the score of 7-2 in the district finals.

VOA Museum opens its doors for tours – For the first time since December, the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting opened for tours this past Saturday and Sunday. There were a few public tours in late 2011 before construction forced the budding museum to close its doors. Prior to those tours, the museum had been closed to the public for two years.

Posted in: Board of Education, Crime, News, Schools, Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Heather Schoell-Schroeder, Lakota East High School, Lakota East missing prom funds, Lakota East missing prom money, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis, Lakota East prom, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East stolen prom money, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, National VOA Museum of Broadcasting, National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, Suzanna Davis, VOA Museum, VOA Museum of Broadcasting, Voice of America Museum

Sue Kiesewetter reports

A Lakota East High School teacher has been charged with a misdemeanor count of theft in connection with missing money from the school’s prom fund.

Heather Schoell-Schroeder. Photo provided

Heather Schoell-Schroeder, 45, of Liberty Township was charged after she and her attorney met with sheriff’s investigators Monday. The Lakota Board of Education is expected to accept her resignation at its meeting tonight, retroactive to May 7.

“Our investigation has concluded,’’ said Sgt. Monte Mayer, spokesman for the Butler County Sheriff’s office. “No other charges are pending.”

Administrators first learned money may have been missing when students arrived at the April 28 prom and had trouble getting in, according to district officials. When students complained to the teacher at least two were asked not to report her, according to a statement from the district.

School officials said the amount missing is about $800 and involved payment for 20 tickets, according to the statement. It is believed that Schoell-Schroeder encouraged students to pay her directly for prom admission instead of waiting in line to buy tickets in the lunchroom.

Even if the students had purchased tickets in the lunchroom, no paper ticket would have been issued because it was credited electronically. Schoell-Schroeder may have told the students to see her at the prom to gain entrance instead of going through the check-in process.

After conducting an internal investigation that began April 30, school officials turned over their information to the sheriff’s office.

Schoell-Schroeder has not been in the classroom since the prom. A substitute teacher has taken over her classroom duties.

Since then, a relative of the teacher has returned $160 to the district, officials said.

School officials are reviewing prom ticket sales to see if changes need to be made.

Posted in: Crime, Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Heather Schoell-Schroeder, Lakota East High School, Lakota East missing prom funds, Lakota East missing prom money, Lakota East prom, Lakota East stolen prom money

A Lakota East High School teacher is the focus of an investigation by police in connection with missing funds from the Butler County school’s prom fund.

The teacher, who resigned earlier this week, was not named by Lakota school officials in their released statement Friday.

According to Lakota officials, they “could not initially account for $800 in ticket sale proceeds from the Lakota East High School prom fund. The district has recovered $160 and officials “will continue to pursue the remainder.”

“We take all matters involving potential illegal activity very seriously,” said Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia. “We acted with urgency to handle this situation appropriately. We are cooperating fully with the (Butler County) Sheriff’s office.”

Posted in: Crime, Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East High School, Lakota East missing prom funds, Lakota East missing prom money, Lakota East prom, Lakota East stolen prom money

Various media outlets reported Thursday that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office has launched a criminal investigation this week after funds from the Lakota East High School prom went missing.

Middletown Journal staff member Denise Wilson reported Thursday evening that Lakota East Assistant Principal Stacy Millberg discovered that a teacher sold $760 worth of tickets in her classroom, but never placed the money into the prom account.

Wilson also reported that the Sheriff’s Office has identified a suspect, but has not filed any charges.

Meanwhile, FOX 19 reported that its was told by a fellow Lakota staff member that a teacher in the school district has resigned in connection with the missing prom money.

Local 12 was the first to report the story Thursday afternoon.

The Lakota East High School prom was held at the Savannah Center in West Chester April 28.

Posted in: Crime, Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East High School, Lakota East missing prom funds, Lakota East missing prom money, Lakota East prom, Lakota East stolen prom money

Michael D. Clark reports

After a day of parading in a glittering prom gown and an evening of dancing and dining, junior Staci Burkel readies herself to climb on to a bucking bull.

Adding to the oddity of the spectacle are excited classmates who encircle her in Lakota East High School’s gym and the time – 1:17 a.m. Sunday.

Staci gamely hangs on as the bull spins and dips. Finally it bucks her off, safely on to thick-cushioned mats.

“It was kind of scary when I fell off. That was a new experience,” Staci says with a giggle.

Welcome to the world of after prom.

It’s a place rarely seen by adults, a colorful midnight-to-dawn festival where high schools morph into equal parts amusement park, raffles, video arcade, dance hall, casino and all-you-can-eat buffets.

A place where teenagers shed their flowing prom gowns and high-fashion tuxedos, step away from rented limousines and enter a locked-down world designed to assure both their entertainment and safety.

The trend of after proms at local high schools started in the 1990s as a safe alternative to unsupervised, post-prom parties that can include excessive drinking, drug use and potentially deadly driving.

The costs are borne by school parent organizations and booster groups. In Lakota East’s case, private donations of $25,000 helped fund last weekend’s event. The Butler County school’s giant, three-story main hallway was transformed with festive lighting, hundreds of balloons, ribbons and lit from above by a giant star-shaped light fixture.

“I didn’t expect the school to come alive like this,” says the 17-year-old Staci as she surveys the boisterous crowd.

“I thought more people would just be sleeping on the (gym) bleachers. But there are tons of sugar to keep everyone awake and they have enough music and activities to keep everyone going,” she says. (more…)

Posted in: Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Alex Mundy, Christine Elson, Lakota East, Lakota East after prom, Lakota East High School, Lakota East High School after prom, Lakota East High School prom, Lakota East prom, Staci Burkel