A former member of the parent teacher network at Eduprize, a Queen Creek charter school, says about $275,000 is unaccounted for.
On Thursday, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it’s conducting a theft investigation but could not provide further details.
The former president of the group, Jocelyn Carranza, controlled the group’s bank account. The group has since elected all new leadership and changed its name.
Court records also show Carranza and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Jayme Accalia is the organization's former events coordinator.
"[Carranza] told each of us someone else was the cosigner and she told me it was the auditor," Accalia said. "We learned she was the only one on the account the whole time."
The current members of the parent teacher organization say they're not doing interviews but shared meeting minutes that indicate Carranza was removed for failure to fulfill duties and the new board intends to conduct a full financial review.
The school did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
"The school, the staff and the new parent teacher organization are outstanding," Accalia said. "They're doing everything they can to fix this."
