Compensation.

(a) The Cullman County Commission on Education shall reimburse the office of the county superintendent of education from the general fund of the county, allocated for schools, the amount of any monetary loss, not to exceed a total for each office of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per annum, arising or caused by error, if the mistake or omission was caused without personal knowledge, including loss arising from acceptance of worthless or forged checks, drafts, money orders, or other written orders for money or its equivalent.

(b) It shall be the duty of the county superintendent of education to insure that employees exercise due care in performing their duties and to make a diligent effort to correct the error, mistake, or omission and collect the amount subject to potential loss immediately upon becoming aware of the potential loss. This section shall not apply to any deliberate misuse or misappropriation of funds by the official or by any clerk or employee under the superintendent's jurisdiction.

(Act 89-477, p. 1000, §§1, 2.)