SURREY — Surrey RCMP are investigating after a Surrey PAC reported its bank account was drained.
Parents at K.B. Woodward Elementary had been fundraising for a new playground that would have cost about $30,000.
In a letter to parents (see below), the PAC executive revealed that after resuming their activities in September, they noticed their bank statement seemed wrong.
“After calls to the bank, it was confirmed our PAC account was empty,” the letter read. “There were no funds in the account.”
The PAC then obtained banking records and called police, according to the letter.
“While we await an update and further information from the RCMP, it is important that we not speculate, start rumours or disclose details that may harm the police investigation,” it added. “We are all devastated to hear this news.”
Surrey School District spokesman Doug Strachan said the PAC has shared that it looks like $20,000 to $30,000 is missing.
“Understandably, there’s a feeling of hurt and devastation for the whole school community,” Strachan told the Now.
“It’s an inner-city school and a lot of work and effort has gone into raising those funds over the last couple years,” he said, which was to replace an aging playground.
“That’s the really tragic part of this,” Strachan added. “As an inner-city school it takes a lot of work and a lot of fundraising and the parents have been contributing, obviously, the students through their own efforts, I believe a penny drive. Staff have been supportive of the fundraising. So a lot of work’s gone into getting that.”
Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann said he couldn’t disclose what investigators are doing, but said the complaint was received on Sept. 16 and had to do with “banking irregularities.”
