Elmhurst Group That Aimed To 'Stir Pot' Ends

ELMHURST, IL — A watchdog group that scrutinized Elmhurst School District 205 disbanded this week.

In 2015, the Parents Advocacy Group of Elmhurst, or PAGE, formed and created a website with the aim of "stirring the pot" on school issues.

This week, Katie Marsico, the website's administrator, announced the site would no longer be active, but its posts would be archived.

The decision came shortly after the school board election and a little more than a week after the departure of the district's superintendent, Dave Moyer, who resigned three months earlier than expected.

Marsico said the group may come back if the circumstances warrant.

"We have tackled a lot of important issues in PAGE, from inclusion and equity to transparency and the need for improved communication in our school community," Marsico said. "I am lucky to have become friends with many of you and, more importantly, to have been reminded so often of the passionate intelligent advocates who put children first and who see a bigger picture than their own experiences."

The website made no bones about its mission.

"For anyone who's ever worried about 'stirring the pot,' about taking a risk, ask yourself if what you're doing could even possibly lead to a discussion that everyone else might benefit from having," the page said.

At the same time, the group said advocacy can be respectful most of the time and need not be loud or obnoxious.

"When it comes to our kids, you always should stir the pot, always take the risk, always try making the change," the page said.

Last year, Marsico was among a select group of 17 people who Superintendent Moyer blocked from his Twitter page. In an interview at the time, she said she did now know why. Patch obtained the information about Moyer's Twitter page through a public records request.

Moyer's Twitter account was linked to the school district's website.