Hinsdale D-86 May Reduce Openness With Records

HINSDALE, IL – Few public bodies in Illinois make available the results of public records requests online for all to see.

The tiny number includes Hinsdale High School District 86 and Hinsdale School District 181.

But the District 86 board may vote Thursday to do away with that level of openness. This comes as Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and the district face increasing criticism from residents.

In an email, Patch asked Erik Held, the board's new president, why the district was considering reducing its openness with the public.

In response, he said he hoped Patch's reporter was able to observe the presentation on Freedom of Information Act policies Thursday.

A few years ago, the district created a portal on its website for responses to public records requests. For unexplained reasons, the district has been posting fewer requests to the portal.

For most public bodies, only the requester receives the documents. Others cannot see the records, unless they know someone else has sought them.

No law requires an online portal. But a few entities, including District 86, have said they want to exceed the state's requirements in the name of openness.

At Thursday's board meeting, attorney Steve Richart of the Arlington Heights-based Hodges Loizzi law firm is set to speak about the issue. Documents from his presentation are on the district's website.

Richart makes the point that the law does not require the posting of requests and that few districts do so.

His presentation includes a proposal to do away with the online records log. The meeting agenda indicates the board may take action.

It is unclear whether the board would keep the old public records requests online if it decides against continuing the practice.

If the portal is eliminated, a person could regularly request all the recently released records and post them online. That would essentially defeat the district's apparent purposes.

Since January, a growing number of residents has called for Prentiss' ouster. They have criticized her over masks and the handling of an anti-racism consultant, among other issues.