Meadowlark PTSA in Erie has removed its treasurer after officers uncovered seven unauthorized withdrawals totaling roughly $70,000 from the school's fundraising account. The group says the missing money was fully repaid, and its leaders filed a police report in March 2026. The treasurer, identified by the PTSA as Sara Loflin, resigned, and the school district suspended the volunteer's status while police investigate.
PTSA officers say they first spotted irregularities in bank transactions that began in December 2025. A closer look turned up seven withdrawals and several unexpected deposits. The group filed a police report with the Erie Police Department in March and worked with its bank to place a fraud alert and close the account, as reported by The Denver Post. The PTSA also told parents it raised close to $164,000 this school year through fundraisers, including a fun run, and leaders say they have restored the group's finances so programs are made whole.
PTSA Posts Records As Leaders Audit Books
In an effort to reassure wary parents and donors, the Meadowlark PTSA has posted its budget and monthly financial reports on its website, along with contact information and a mailing address. According to Meadowlark PTSA, the group maintains downloadable financial statements for the 2025–26 school year and invites members to request additional records while the board continues its review.
Board Action And New Controls
The PTSA officially removed the treasurer on April 1 and says it is tightening internal controls so this kind of mess does not happen again. New safeguards include a requirement that any withdrawal over $500 receive two board approvals or a full board vote, and the creation of two separate treasurer roles, one for day-to-day finances and a second focused on oversight, as reported by The Denver Post. The treasurer's employer, ProgressNow Colorado, initially placed the staff member on leave and later said the person is no longer with the organization, according to the same reporting. PTSA leaders say they cut off the volunteer's access to the group's bank account, email, and accounting software while the review continues.
Not An Isolated Problem
Embezzlement and misuse of parent-organization funds is a recurring headache for schools across Colorado, and Erie is hardly alone. In one case, a Denver School of the Arts treasurer was accused of pocketing roughly $56,000, and in another, a Jefferson County-area PTO treasurer was alleged to have taken about $58,000. Those cases were reported locally by Patch Denver and Patch Arvada, and they help explain why many PTAs and PTSAs have tightened oversight in recent years.
Erie police say the investigation into the Meadowlark account remains open, and the department has declined to release the police report while detectives continue their work. Parents and donors looking for the PTSA's public financial records can find the group's budget and monthly statements on the Meadowlark PTSA site, while the Erie Police Department handles records requests and public inquiries through the town's police page.
