'Mere Speculation' On Elmhurst D-205 Meeting Costs

ELMHURST, IL – Last year, Elmhurst school board members held spirited discussions over how to spend tens of millions of dollars in tax money on building projects.

Those discussions were livestreamed. This year, the board has cut back on that type of openness.

The board is ending the pandemic practice of taking video of finance and policy committee meetings.

Through public records requests, Patch discovered District 205 apparently makes no recording at all, including audio, of committee meetings.

Last month, the League of Women Voters of Elmhurst complained about Elmhurst School District 205's decision to reduce its openness. The group has sent an observer to District 205 meetings for years.

During public comments at an August meeting, Marsha Baker of the league said the board apparently wanted to "insulate" itself from residents.

As a result of a public records request, the district informed the league that it cost $50 an hour to record meetings. The league estimated the district would save $400 a year by ending the recordings.

In a recent email to Patch, the district's spokeswoman, Tonya Daniels, recommended "leaning on those numbers loosely."

"In response to a (Freedom of Information Act request), we stated that the $50 hourly amount was an estimate that we were providing as a courtesy," Daniels said. "Furthermore, the District did not provide a total overall cost for the meetings. The cost of $400 that I have seen some share is inaccurate and mere speculation."

Daniels provided no estimate of the savings.

In an interview, Jan Dorner, co-president of the local league, said the district cited the cost of recording meetings as the reason to curtail the practice. But she noted the district has not given an estimate of the savings.

In June, board President Kara Caforio announced the board would no longer post videos on YouTube of its finance and policy committee meetings. The move, she said, would reduce the number of staff needed at those sessions.

At the August meeting, Baker said, "While the league is a firm believer in cost savings, we have to question with over $46 million in its coffers, why is the board using such a small savings to limit such a large means by which district citizens stay informed? The lack of concern for parents, students and community members to save $400 does not seem to be a good decision."

The district serves more than 8,000 students, more than double that of either Hinsdale District 86 or Lyons Township High School.

Editor's note: The original version of the story said the board planned to not record its three "committee of the whole" sessions this school year. The board says it will record those sessions.