A superintendent of an Indiana school district faces fraud charges for using her insurance to obtain $233 in medical care for a sick student.

Elwood Community Schools Superintendent Casey Smitherman was charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor in an insurance fraud case after she allegedly used her son's insurance information to get treatment for a sick student.

Elwood is located about 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis in Madison County.

"I am committed to this community and our students and I regret if this action has undermined your trust in me," Smitherman said in a statement to IndyStar, provided by her lawyer.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Smitherman was worried about the 15-year-old boy when he did not come to school on Jan. 9. She contacted him and he told her he was sick and had a sore throat.

"After making sure he had eaten, I could tell he had some of the symptoms of strep throat," Smitherman said in a written statement provided by her attorney. "As a parent, I know how serious this illness can be if left untreated, and I took him to an emergency clinic."

Smitherman, documents said, took the boy to St. Vincent Immediate Care in Elwood. She admitted to using her son's insurance card to pay for the care, documents said.

"I know this action was wrong," Smitherman said in the statement. "In the moment, my only concern was for this child’s health."

The boy, using the name of Smitherman's son, was prescribed the antibiotic Amoxicillin. Smitherman, documents said, filled that prescription at a CVS in Elwood.

The total bill was $233, documents said.

"Mrs Smitherman stated she realized (the boy) did not go to school and was worried about him," Elwood Police Officer Ben Gosnell wrote in the document. "Mrs. Smitherman (has) helped him by purchasing clothes and trying to give (the boy) a decent way of living by also helping clean his house."

Smitherman told police she didn't call the Department of Child Services for fear the boy might be placed in foster care. DCS has since opened an investigation, documents said.

Bryan Williams, Smitherman's lawyer, said the boy lives with an elderly family member who does not have a car.

"The child was very sick and she was just trying to get him medicine," Williams said. "She knew it was probably a mistake. But at the same time she really didn’t know what else to do."

Smitherman was booked Wednesday into the Madison County Jail on felony charges of insurance fraud, identity deception and official misconduct and a misdemeanor count of insurance fraud.

She was later freed on $5,000 bond, records show.

No court date has been scheduled.

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings Cummings said there are many children in Elwood, Anderson and other communities in the county who live in poverty, who don't have parents or other adults to care for them.

Smitherman was trying to do something good, he said, but did it the wrong way.

"The other side of it is you have a school superintendent who is demonstrating through her actions that its O.K. to be dishonest and falsify your name," Cummings said. "That was more troubling. I think she realizes that."

Cummings said his office has agreed to offer Smitherman a diversion agreement, which would allow her to admit to the crime and avoid a criminal conviction. If a judge agrees and she doesn't get arrested again in a year, he said the charges will be dismissed.

The sides were still working out the details, Cummings said. Similar diversion agreements are offered to all first-time, non-violent offenders. Cummings said diversion agreements typically require defendants to take classes or perform community service.

"She had good intentions but it didn't work out the way it should have or the way we would expect one of our leaders to behave," Cummings said.

Elwood Community Schools Board President Brent Kane expressed support for Smitherman in a statement provided to IndyStar by her attorney.

"She made an unfortunate mistake, but we understand that it was out of concern for this child’s welfare," Kane said. "We know she understands what she did was wrong, but she continues to have our support."

Call IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert at 317-444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.