Gambling Addict Hired to Head Troubled Charter School

Former Scranton principal facing charges to head Poconos school
BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL (STAFF WRITER)


A former Scranton principal facing a charge for stealing money from a principals' fund has been hired to lead a charter school in the Poconos.

Jeffrey McCreary, who resigned from his job at McNichols Plaza Elementary last year, is now principal at the controversial Pocono Mountain Charter School in Tobyhanna.

Mr. McCreary, 49, of South Abington Twp., was charged last month with theft by failure to make required disposition of funds after he allegedly stole $87,000 from the Scranton Association of Administrators and Supervisors to fuel a gambling addiction.

He pocketed the money from the fund through unauthorized withdrawals from the account at the Penn East Federal Credit Union between June 2004 and July 2010, according to court papers. Mr. McCreary was treasurer of the association from 2004 through 2008 and had exclusive access to the bank account until July 2010.

The charter school, which is fighting to keep its charter after an attempt at revocation by the Pocono Mountain School District, hired Mr. McCreary in July, said Lisa Bansa, president of the school's board.

Ms. Bansa said the board is aware of the allegations against Mr. McCreary and that the "lawyers are handling it."

Efforts to reach Mr. McCreary, who waived his preliminary hearing this week, were unsuccessful Friday. His salary was not immediately available.

The charter school, which is awaiting a decision on its future from the state's Charter Appeal Board, has had a strained relationship with the Pocono Mountain School District. Charter schools are self-managed public schools approved by public school districts.

Last year, the district's board voted to revoke the school's charter, under allegations Dennis Bloom - then the school's CEO and pastor of Shawnee Tabernacle Church - uses taxpayer money for religious purposes. Mr. Bloom has since resigned as CEO but remains the church's pastor.

The school is also now looking for a CEO, Ms. Bansa said. The last CEO/principal, John Severs, will not be CEO for the upcoming school year.

Depending on the decision by the state's Charter Appeals Board, the school could be forced to close. The board will make and announce its decision at its September meeting, according to the state Department of Education. Despite the uncertainty of the school's future, it will open Aug. 29, with class as usual, Ms. Bansa said.

"We're just looking forward to a great year ahead of us," she said