For six months, teacher Angela Csader walked into her kindergarten classroom with a secret.

The 25-year-old Queen Creek woman was arrested in July on suspicion of having sex with a 16-year-old Gilbert boy - a boy who fathered her child.

SPECIAL REPORT – Tribune looks into sexual misconduct in schools

Yet officials at Anthem Elementary School and the Florence Unified School District said they knew nothing about it. She continued to teach students during a half-year span when she appeared multiple times before a Maricopa County court and was on supervised release with a curfew.

"Because it was out of our county and jurisdiction, there were limited ways we could find out about it," district spokesman Larry Cline said. "We don't check the Web sites every day for this."

Csader resigned from her job Jan. 31, the day after the district received information from the Arizona Department of Education about child sex charges against her.

But the lapse in time between her arrest and the district being notified has raised concerns from district officials and parents.

"I wish to express not only our distress but our commitment to ensuring the safety ... of your children," district Superintendent Gary Nine wrote in a letter to parents.

It's not clear why it took so long for the school to learn of Csader's arrest.

A broken system of communication seems to be to blame for how a suspect who admitted to committing child sex crimes continued to teach for six months.

The state Department of Education has an investigation section that deals with teachers facing criminal charges. But under state law, school districts are responsible for notifying the department, which then revokes the teacher's certification.

Cline said the school also found out on Jan. 30 that Csader's fingerprint card was revoked. In order to be certified as a teacher, state law requires a fingerprint clearance card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

But DPS officials said they don't notify schools if a fingerprint check pops up.

"There is no alert system where information about a teacher arrested would be forwarded," DPS spokesman Harold Sanders said.

Sanders said his department would only send out information about sex offenders. But Csader is still awaiting trial.

Generally, officials said, local police notify schools if someone is booked into jail for a crime considered dangerous to public safety.

Gilbert police, who arrested Csader, said they attempt to notify a school district when possible and appropriate.

However, police Sgt. Mark Marino said they did not have any information that Csader was employed as a teacher at the time. She told officers she was only working for the boy's family as a nanny, he said.

Cline said his district never received notification from any Maricopa County authority, police department or court.

He stressed his wish that his district received the news sooner.

"We would have hoped for immediate notification," he said. "The earlier we could have found out, the better."

Csader was arrested July 28 after admitting to police that she had sex with the teen multiple times in 2006, court records show.

Csader was hired by his parents as an in-home special-education therapist for their 8-year-old autistic son.

Csader and the teen first had sex in August 2006 while she was house-sitting for the parents, and they had sex at least two more times during the next month, court records show.

Csader told officers that she once drove to Gilbert High School during the boy's lunch break to have sex in her truck.

Csader was charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor. A direct complaint with the charges was filed in county court Oct. 10.

Her next hearing in the case is set for Feb. 26.

Csader had worked at the school since the beginning of the 2006-07 academic year.

After the school found out, officials banned her from district grounds. She was escorted to get her belongings from her classroom on a Saturday.

In the letter sent to parents, Csader's name wasn't mentioned. The district also refused to tell inquiring parents who the teacher was.

Mindy Henke, who has three daughters who attend Anthem, called the school after she received the letter.

However, they told her they wouldn't release the name because the alleged sexual acts didn't involve Anthem students.

"I don't understand why they wouldn't tell me," Henke said. "Just because they believe that nothing happened to kids at the school doesn't justify not telling parents.

"I have a daughter who was in kindergarten last year, and I wanted to know if there were some questions I should be asking her," she said.

Csader also faces a family court dispute with the victim, who filed for full custody of their daughter in December.

Csader is married, and the baby was born in May. At the time of the arrest, Csader told police she didn't know who the father was.

However, paternity tests confirm the baby is the teen's, court records show.

He is seeking a last-name change for the baby and to be declared the father along with custody.

Through her attorney, Csader has declined to comment.