An audit of all accounts of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District has revealed that $298,556 is missing, according to a release from the district today.

The district hired the forensic auditing firm of Horovitz Rudoy & Roteman last month after PNC bank notified the district that two checks had been written with the same number from the district's renovation fund, said Superintendent Lawrence Korchnak.

The announcement of the discrepancy with the checks came within days of of the death of Linda McWreath, 53, who had been a secretary to the district's business manager for seven years.

Ms. McWreath's body was found floating in the Youghiogheny River at the Buena Vista boat launch in Elizabeth Township about five or six feet from shore. Her car was parked about 100 feet away.

Whitehall Police Chief Donald Dofli said his department's investigation of the missing funds also indentified Ms. McWreath as the "primary person of interest" and that there is not any other individual the police plan to charge at this point.

He said his department is currently reviewing the school district's audit to see if its findings match those of the police investigation.

According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office, the manner of death for Ms. McWreath is still pending.

In today's press release, the district said the accountants found $13,874 missing from the payroll account, $77,857 from the athletic fund and $206,825 missing from the Citizens Bank Construction Fund and the PNC Bank Construction Fund. The audit covered a seven-year period.

The district recently completed a $65 million renovation and construction project at the high school.

"There is a relationship between the unauthorized disbursements and the loss of an employee's life in the recent past. The district chooses to remain silent on that since the police are conducting an investigation," Dr. Korchnak said.

The superintendent said that former business manager Jennifer Pesanka, who was terminated by the board in June, was not involved in any misappropriation of funds.