Former Quinte West principal charged with misappropriating school funds

A former principal from Murray Centennial Public School in Quinte West has been charged with misappropriating school funds.

Ontario Provincial Police announced a number of theft and fraud charges against 51-year-old Todd Bishop, from Brighton, Wednesday.

Police say the charges stem from an investigation started when an organization reported more than $80,000 had been misappropriated.

While police haven’t named the organization, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has confirmed the charges are related to Bishop’s time as principal at Murray Centennial Public School in Trenton from September 2018 until September 2023.

Police have told Global News their investigation was started in mid-2023.

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board chairperson Jaine Klassen Jeninga said Bishop “is no longer an employee of the Board.”

“We have ongoing processes in place for the monitoring of all school-related funds, and whenever we believe there may be financial irregularities within a school, we immediately contact police authorities,” Jeninga said in an emailed statement.

“In addition to conducting our own internal investigation, we have been active partners in the external police investigation of this issue.”

Jeninga wouldn’t give any further details about the alleged fraud, citing the ongoing investigation, but did say the board has replaced “any school-based funds that were lost” as part of their internal investigation.

Bishop is charged with criminal breach of trust, three counts of forgery, four counts of fraud over $5,000, one count of fraud under $5,000, four counts of theft over $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000.

The accused has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Picton Feb. 29.