A former South Butler School District secretary pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $13,000 from the district's student activities account in 2016.

Paula A. Vaughan, 60, of Sarver pleaded guilty to felony theft before Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr.

The plea agreement calls for a probationary sentence, the term of which is up to the judge at sentencing, restitution and payment of court costs. She is scheduled for sentencing June 20.

State police also initially charged Vaughan with felony receiving stolen property, which will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. She remains free on $20,000 unsecured bail.

The charges stem from incidents between June 6 and Dec. 31, 2016, when police say Vaughan worked as secretary for the district's athletic director and stole $13,673.95, after school officials found discrepancies in the student activities account.

The district then hired the Butler accounting firm of Maher Duessel to help in the internal investigation and to conduct an audit. Vaughan immediately resigned when the investigation started.

Police said Vaughan admitted to taking money from fundraisers, dances and clubs, and instead of depositing the funds, pocketed the money. In an attempt to cover up the crime, police said, she replaced the missing money with funds from pay-to-participate, driver's education and summer recreation fees, and would use various local bank branches to make the deposits “to avoid detection.”

She also admitted to writing herself an $850 check for cash on a Knoch High School account, which she endorsed and cashed at a bank.

Vaughan was hired in 1991, and had worked in different positions at the district, including as a Knoch High School secretary.