Palatine school’s PTA treasurer charged with theft

The former treasurer of a Palatine Elementary District 15 school’s parent-teacher association has been charged with stealing more than $12,000 from the group.

Melissa Tronina, 41, of Rolling Meadows, was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of theft of over $10,000. Police said she also had an active warrant for her arrest on a previous offense of continuing financial crimes.

Palatine police said authorities were alerted to irregular spending from the PTA account in January, and investigators determined more than $12,000 had been spent starting in August 2023, when Tronina was elected treasurer of the PTA at Sanborn Elementary School in Palatine.

Tronina is slated for a detention hearing Wednesday at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows.

In the meantime, leaders of the PTA group have fundraising to replace the money that was reported stolen. The group’s interim treasurer told PTA members last month that the organization’s account was down to $187 after the money went missing.