Question: Whatever happened to the principal of August Ahrens Elementary School in Waipahu, who was put on administrative leave following allegations of financial impropriety?

Answer: Six months after she was placed on paid administrative leave, August Ahrens Principal Florentina Smith is still not back at work, as the state investigates the allegations against her.

Department of Education spokeswoman Sandy Goya said she could not comment on the specifics of the investigation because it is ongoing, but said the DOE “continues to process this case as per our procedures and in accordance with collective bargaining.”

Sources have told the Star-Advertiser that Smith is being investigated for allegedly directing a teacher to file a per diem reimbursement claim for training that did not occur.

Officials have not said how much money was involved.

Smith could not be reached for comment.

August Ahrens, with 1,300 students, is one of the state’s largest elementary schools, and serves a high-needs population. In the 2010-11 school year, 57 percent of students were on free or reduced-cost lunch, an indicator of poverty, and 24 percent had limited English proficiency, according to a DOE report.

Since Smith was placed on leave in late January, August Ahrens has been led by temporarily assigned Principal Hanh Nguyen, who was a vice principal at Pearl City High.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, a vice principal at the school was also placed on leave in January. He has not returned to the school and an investigation continues. The vice principal was put on leave after a complaint from a teacher.

The allegations against Smith came on the heels of several cases of financial impropriety at schools, which prompted DOE officials to set up a fraud-reporting hot line, offer training to help staff quickly spot possible theft, and beef up the department’s internal auditing arm.

In November, a former Waipahu High business manager pleaded guilty in state court to stealing nearly $500,000 from the school over six years.

Also last year, a Pearl Ridge Elementary School secretary was sentenced to five years’ probation and 1,500 hours of community service for stealing nearly $70,000 from the school.

And in December 2010, a Lehua Elementary School secretary was ordered to perform community service after stealing $13,000 from fundraisers and donations collected for student programs.

In November, schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said the department was reviewing its policies to ensure thefts didn’t happen.

“These fraud cases have been so different, and so we really need to look at it systemically,” she told the Star-Advertiser at the time.

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This update was written by Mary Vorsino. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.