D-86 Official Quietly Copied Into Board Emails

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale High School District 86 official is quietly copied into emails that the public sends to the group email for the school board.

On the website, the public is advised that messages to the seven-member board's group email also go to the superintendent. But the website does not indicate the emails are also sent to Chris Jasculca, the district's communications director.

At last week's board meeting, member Jeff Waters said he recently learned the emails also went to Jasculca.

"I would encourage you, Chris, tonight to add that note to the public website to provide maximum transparency," Waters said.

As of Tuesday morning, it was not added. Letters to individual board members or parts of the board are not copied to Jasculca and Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, according to the district.

In an email to Patch, Jasculca said he could not explain why the messages go to him because the practice predates him and Prentiss, both of whom started in their current positions in 2019. He said records show the practice dates back to 2014.

Jasculca said he could speak about why he was added to the board's group email at his previous employer, Oak Park School District 97.

"In my previous district, the board and superintendent chose to include me in the group because they wanted to make sure that I, in my role as one of the primary spokespeople for the district, had access to information in case we needed to address a critical issue or emergency in a timely fashion," Jasculca said. "They also often asked me to help draft replies to messages they received in order to ensure that their responses were clear, accurate, and followed the appropriate standards for grammar and punctuation."

During public comments at last week's meeting, resident Yvonne Mayer, often a critic of the administration, noted Waters' statement about the group email. She asked for an explanation of the practice.

"That's unbelievable," she said. "Why would the director of communication get to see it? That's shocking, and that's not anywhere on the board website."