An elementary school teacher accused of stealing $97,000 and the Lawrence school district have officially broken ties.

At a special school board meeting held this afternoon, board members voted to accept the terms of Wayne Kruse’s resignation.

Kruse, a former sixth-grade teacher at Quail Run Elementary School, will continue to collect pay until the end of the school year.

Kruse has been accused of stealing from the teachers’ union while he was its president and now faces criminal charges.

The district had considering firing Kruse but could only do so after completing a due process hearing. Kruse had offered to resign in exchange for continued salary through June.

Supt. Randy Weseman had said it might be easier and cheaper for the district to accept Kruse’s resignation.

For more on this story, see the 6News reports at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband’s Channel 6 and pick up a copy of Friday’s Journal-World.