D-86 Comments 'Decidedly Negative': Official

HINSDALE, IL — Hinsdale High School District 86's board meeting was a lonely affair Thursday. To stop the spread of the coronavirus, six of the seven board members connected to the meeting remotely.

In the meeting room were board Vice President Kevin Camden, Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and a handful of other employees, all spaced apart. No one from the public attended. They were encouraged to stay away and comment remotely.

The school board received nine comments, which were read by officials. Camden noted that eight of them were negative in "at a time virtually unprecedented in this country."

"They are decidedly negative relative to what the board is doing," Camden said. "I think in the grand scheme of things that may demonstrate more about the commenters' character than that of the board."

Most of the comments were about the belief among Hinsdale South parents that their children get fewer opportunities because that school is smaller than Hinsdale Central — an ongoing controversy in District 86.

A few months ago, the school board faced much opposition to changes in Hinsdale Central's science curriculum, reversing the traditional sequence of science classes. At a February board meeting, Camden said he had communicated with some residents during the science controversy and that his emails were taken out of context and used to support people's personal issues related to the board.

Because of that, Camden said he would no longer answer constituents' emails and, instead, would send them to the district's communications director. He said he understood that his new policy would stymie communication between board members and the community. "Be that as it may, that's where we find ourselves," he said.

In an interview Friday, Camden said he has, in fact, responded to emails from the public related to the school board. He said he hasn't answered all of them and has never done that.

Camden said District 86 benefits from a "very engaged" public when it comes to issues such as the curriculum and last year's referendum.