MADISON -- The longtime, right-hand aide of the Madison High School principal pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $26,000 from student accounts over a two-year period, according to court and school officials.

Karen Franzose, 54, of Madison, who made her initial appearance in Somerset County Superior Court, pleaded guilty to Class D theft and paid full restitution of $26,049.64 as part of an agreement between the school and authorities, said Brent Davis, assistant district attorney to Somerset and Kennebec counties.

Franzose, administrative assistant to Principal Colin Campbell for at least 10 years, also was ordered to make a $2,000 donation to the Madison High School Sports Boosters and paid a $2,000 fine, Davis said. She will get no jail time and no probation.

Davis and school officials said Franzose had access to the checkbook and bank statements of the student activities account, from which they said she systematically stole funds between June 2006 and July 2008.

Michael Gallagher, superintendent of School Administrative District 59, said the district did agree with the sentence.

"After consulting with the board chair, the district agreed that the outcome is as we would like to have it," Gallagher said Wednesday afternoon. "Recovery of the funds is most important and we also felt that the charitable contribution needed to be provided to the student boosters organization since it appeared that most of the funds taken had come from student activity accounts."

Gallagher said the theft was discovered through an auditor's review of the fiscal year. Discrepancies were found that led to some suspicions. When Franzose was questioned, she admitted it.

The school board last month accepted the resignation of Franzose, who for years sat in the front office dealing with the student accounts.