New England superintendent reaches plea deal

NEW ENGLAND (AP) - New England school Superintendent Noel Lunde has reached a plea agreement that reduces felony theft charges against him and sentences him to a year of probation.

Lunde was accused of depositing money in his personal bank account that came from tuition paid for a driver's education program at the southwestern North Dakota school. He also was accused of using the school's cell phone without permission. Court records show he repaid $1,200.

Under the plea agreement, approved this week by Judge Ronald Hilden, theft charges were reduced to a misdemeanor charge of refusing to perform his duty as a public servant.

Lunde was given a deferred 12-month sentence, 12 months of unsupervised probation, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and court fees.

He admitted that he refused to submit a monthly report to the School Board listing financial transactions and the reason for them, from May through September 2005.

"I do believe it is a fair outcome," said Jason Jung, the president of the New England school board. "It's fair for both the school and for Noel. I'm happy the issue is coming to resolution where both parties can move on."

Lunde said earlier that he had "done some things wrong" but said, "I never dreamed it would come to this."

He resigned from his job during the 2005-06 school year but finished out his duties.

"We were able to avoid creating further turmoil in the New England community," Hettinger County State's Attorney James Gion said of the plea agreement.