An employee of Eanes ISD has been terminated from her position and is now facing a felony charge for the alleged misuse of district credit cards. Kelly Ballengee, who served as the principal's assistant and bookkeeper at Hill Country Middle School, was arrested after an internal investigation pointed to suspicious transactions.
The district's finance office initially flagged spending irregularities, prompting Eanes ISD police to conduct an investigation, as reported by KVUE. On October 17th, concerns were raised regarding several purchases made at Walmart, including a 12-pack of Diet Coke and a $100 Visa gift card, which were supposed to be for "band snacks for practice marathon." Further examination uncovered additional transactions, pushing back to as early as August 2022, where Ballengee was found to have submitted potentially altered or fraudulent Walmart receipts totaling 42 separate instances.
Items purchased with the district's funds ranged from groceries and alcohol to household essentials and clothing—products that strayed far from the intended school operational expenses. For example, a so-called 'lost receipt' form claimed a purchase included 35 six-packs of Fanta soda for school purposes, while in actuality, the order contained considerably less soda and yet another $100 gift card, suggesting personal use.
Upon searching Ballengee's office, authorities found evidence including a Walmart receipt printed on regular paper instead of the usual receipt tape, signaling possible forgery. In an interview with detectives, Ballengee admitted to having used district credit cards for personal needs and cited financial difficulties as a reason, as FOX 7 Austin coverage reflected. Eanes ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Arnett lamented the betrayal, saying, "It is regrettable and sad when a well-known employee of the school district could betray the trust of colleagues, parents and students by stealing from them in such a covert manner."
In response to the incident, Eanes ISD is reviewing and hard to strengthen their credit card protocols and approval processes. Ballengee, meanwhile, remains incarcerated in Travis County Jail on a $4,000 bond, with a scheduled court appearance set for November 15. As the investigation remains active, the district is preparing to fully prosecute and seek restitution for any and all improprieties discovered, an earnest attempt to mend what trust has been broken by such a clandestine theft.
