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A past principal of Balclutha School has likened overstating her school roll in order to obtain higher funding, to going to the casino.
"You have to take a gamble sometimes," Sharman Andrea Dykes said when Ministry of Education staff interviewed her last October.
The 54-year-old, who was Balclutha's principal for three years from 2003, admitted dishonesty charges when she appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday. She is now a Winton farmer.
An audit last year of roll returns for the period 2003 to 2007 showed that three returns Dykes sent in were overstated by 12, 15 and 15 pupils.
Dykes described to ministry staff the stresses she had been under in managing the school's finances and budgets, saying finance was "not her strong point".
She said she knew that what she was doing was wrong. It was not for personal gain, but to help make funds go further.
Crown prosecutor Robin Bates said the offending resulted in Balclutha School receiving $16,700 of state funding to which it was not entitled.
Judge Stephen O'Driscoll adjourned the case to August 7 "with no guarantees".
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
