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Mountain View Principal Charged with Theft in Susquehanna County

HARFORD TOWNSHIP — An elementary school principal in Susquehanna County has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing thousands from her school. Poli...

HARFORD TOWNSHIP -- An elementary school principal in Susquehanna County has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing thousands from her school.

Police say the money was stolen from the school's field trip fund.

Christine Kelly, of Tunkhannock, is the principal of Mountain View Elementary in Kingsley. She was escorted by police to be fingerprinted in Montrose.

Kelly is charged with theft and suspended with pay from her job as principal.

She's accused of stealing nearly $3,000 from the sixth-grade field trip fund.

"I don't know how you could be so low to steal from little kids like that. It is a sad situation and nothing like that should ever happen," said Justin Kropa of Kingsley.

According to court papers, detectives starting investigating in May after the Mountain View School District superintendent told them money meant for a field trip to Washington D.C. was missing.

School officials told investigators that Kelly insisted on keeping the money in her office and not in the school safe.

When those officials later went to count the money that found $2,600 was missing.

"It is pretty intense, I mean, I'm glad she got caught but hopefully these kids do not suffer too badly and they get to enjoy their trip," said Kyle Hanjaras of Brooklyn.

Court papers do not indicate what Kelly may have done with the money she's accused of stealing.

She is free after posting bail.

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