By JEAN L. KAESS

Malissa Hebert has been named assistant principal at Berwick Elementary School and will assume her new duties Monday.

She replaces Debbie Tompkins, the former assistant principal, who was named principal Aug. 23.

Superintendent Donald Aguillard said Hebert is a special education teacher at the school. She has been at the school since 1997 and has 27 years of teaching experience.

The school continues to have a temporary bookkeeper in place.

The shakeup at BES is due to the arrest of former secretary and bookkeeper Penny T. Crappell for the theft of about $59,000 in school funds. She was charged Aug. 23 with theft and forgery in the case. She resigned from the school system and her seat on the Berwick Town Council.

An audit report detailing the missing money will be presented during the September St. Mary Parish School Board meeting

Aguillard said the audit report is to be followed by an executive session. The official agenda has not been released.