The former treasurer of a Mesa Parent Teacher Organization is facing felony theft charges after she was accused of spending thousands of dollars from the organization’s bank account on personal expenses like Disney on Ice tickets and her rent.
According to court documents, Chandra Cushman served as treasurer for the Whitman Elementary School District PTO from August 2022 until she was removed from the position in January 2025. As treasurer, Cushman was responsible for keeping track of the organization’s money and depositing it into an approved account. She was added as a signer on the account and was issued a debit card for PTO-related expenses, according to Mesa police.
But on 10 separate occasions, Cushman withdrew cash from the PTO account
and deposited it into her own personal account, according to court documents. Cushman would withdraw the money from a Wells Fargo location and deposit the money into her own Wells Fargo account at the same location, according to court documents. The money Cushman deposited in this manner amounted to over $5,000.
Cushman also spent over $200 from the PTO account to purchase Disney on Ice tickets for her and her daughter, according to court documents. She also spent money on car repairs and used the funds to pay her rent, court documents stated.
Cushman’s total theft amounted to nearly $10,000, according to court documents. She admitted to using the PTO account and debit card for personal expenses during a voluntary interview with detectives, according to Mesa police.
Whitman Elementary could not be reached for comment. Parent teacher organizations are generally not directly affiliated with school districts.
Cushman's initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court is scheduled Sept. 21, according to online court records.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa woman accused of spending nearly $10,000 from district PTO account
