Former Waukesha PTO Treasurer Stole Nearly $55K: Police

WAUKESHA, WI— A former Parent Teacher Organization treasurer in the Waukesha School District was charged with theft from a business.

Alyssa Ludtke, 38, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Friday. She is accused of stealing more than $54,000 from Hillcrest Elementary School in Waukesha.

If convicted, Ludtke faces up to 10 years in prison.

Ludtke's initial court appearance is Sept. 2.

In November Waukesha police met with the current PTO president and current treasurer to discuss missing money from when Ludtke was in the position from 2017 to 2020, according to the criminal complaint.

The new treasurer took over in October 2020 and found the PTO's bank balance was $88.58 as of Sept. 8, 2020. It was previously $45,204 as of July 31, 2017, the complaint said.

The secondary account balance was $5.32, previously it was $788.23 as of July 31, 2017, the complaint said.

The PTO president told police no former or current PTO members were authorized to take out money for personal use, the complaint said.

Ludtke provided profit and loss statements at PTO meetings from 2017 to 2020 but never showed actual account balances, the complaint said.

The primary PTO account should have been $72,226 as of September 1, 2020, the complaint said.

Police looked at records for the two PTO accounts and discovered there had been 20 cash withdrawals by Ludtke between October 2017 and March 2020, the complaint said.

Police found 88 checks made payable to Ludtke, the complaint said.

Police contacted Ludtke in January and she knew the meeting "was probably about the Hillcrest PTO," the complaint said.

Ludtke said she and her husband were struggling financially and "it was nice having extra money in her account," the complaint said.

Ludtke told police she felt horrible for what she did and thought “the PTO board would communicate with her about paying the money back,” the complaint said.