Teacher Enters Guilty Plea to Forgery Count

The migrant education director of the Fallbrook Union High School District pleaded guilty Wednesday to one felony count of forgery after he billed San Diego County for student work that was not performed.

Arturo Santoyo, 35, entered his plea before Municipal Judge Laura P. Hammes, who set sentencing for Nov. 6.

Santoyo, a Chula Vista resident who has worked for the district for six years, faces a maximum of three years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.

Under the terms of a plea bargain, Santoyo is prohibited from ever working for the district after Nov. 1. He also is prohibited from working for any other school district in California before September, 1987.

The judge could reduce Santoyo’s conviction to a misdemeanor if he successfully completes his probationary period. Deputy Dist. Atty. John Heisner said the district attorney’s office would not oppose a reduction.

Santoyo pleaded guilty to one count of falsifying public money accounts, but Heisner said the judge will consider four similar counts in addition to five felony counts of misappropriation of public funds before the sentencing.

In addition, Santoyo could lose his teaching license. The state Board of Education could revoke or suspend his license or issue a public or private reproval, Heisner said.

The migrant program that Santoyo directed is a federally funded program for children of migrant farm workers. The charges stemmed from the repayment of a $2,000 loan that Santoyo obtained from the Fallbrook High School Associated Student Body treasury to send three students in the program to the 1984 national Board of Education conference in New Orleans.

To repay the loan, the students were placed in a work-experience program in which they worked at jobs in the community for minimum wage and school credit.