A Brooklyn principal under investigation for allegedly soaking the Department of Education for unearned overtime and unauthorized absences is now planning to parlay a foundation-funded field trip to Miami into an unapproved vacation.
Kaia Mashariki was spotted sipping juice at the Catalina Hotel & Beach Club, heading to her “suite,” and dining for hours with relatives last week — while the DOE said she was supposed to be helping two teachers chaperone six students attending the American Black Film Festival in South Beach.
She left for Florida without filing a DOE form required for out-of-state trips. After The Post asked about the junket, she had the form overnighted to her at the resort. She was then seen rushing to catch the FedEx truck to send it back.
Mashariki, principal of the Life Academy HS for Film and Music, skipped the last three days of school. Although the film festival ended yesterday, Mashariki told staff she will not return until July 21. Summer school starts July 1.
Mashariki took her two kids to the resort, where a nanny watched them.
Teachers accuse Mashariki of padding her $132,000-a-year salary by falsely reporting extra hours after 4 p.m., when the school day ends.
They say she rarely stayed past 4 — and routinely failed to punch a time card, as required, for the extra hours. Nor did she specify what the extra work entailed, also required.
“She is a stickler on the procedures for everybody else,” a staffer said.
In one case, Mashariki sent an e-mail on her DOE BlackBerry at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 28, saying she was stuck in traffic from “multiple accidents and spinouts” en route from her home in South Orange, NJ.
Then pregnant, Mashariki added, “It’s very unsafe (especially) in my condition. I am trying to turn around and go home now.”
Yet Mashariki reported working an extra 90 minutes that day, collecting $65, records show.
She has raked in more than $11,600 for extra hours — at $43 each — since October 2007, according to the DOE.
Teachers also allege Mashariki never showed up for last year’s summer school — while collecting her salary.
A spokeswoman for special schools investigator Richard Condon confirmed an “open investigation,” saying the office received a complaint in May.
Reached by phone Friday night, Mashariki referred questions to the DOE press office and hung up.