Hinsdale D86 Board May Have Broken Oath

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the superintendent's "leave of absence" was at the school board's request.

For more than three weeks, officials declined to reveal the nature of the leave.

However, in response to Patch's public records request, the district said board President Catherine Greenspon notified Superintendent Tammy Prentiss about the beginning of her leave.

If that is the case, the board appears to have violated its oath of office in taking the action. The oath says, "I shall recognize that a Board member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a public Board meeting."

Yet no vote had been taken when the board announced in a May 16 news release that Prentiss was on a "leave of absence."

The board also stated in the release that Chris Covino, assistant superintendent for academics, was the acting superintendent.

Both of those decisions were affirmed in board votes eight days later. But the May 16 news release did not state how either original action came about.

A day before Prentiss went on leave, the board held a closed session to discuss issues about specific personnel, likely Prentiss. But no votes were scheduled or taken.

The board's policies list the president's duties. The president is given no independent power to place a superintendent on leave or name an acting superintendent.

Also, the superintendent's contract includes no provision allowing the board or president to place her on leave without a vote.

Under the state Open Meetings Act, the board's decisions must be in an open meeting, not behind closed doors. That law requires all board members to take open meetings training.

On Wednesday, Patch emailed the board's account and asked anyone to state the board's authority to place the superintendent on leave without a vote. No one responded.

Board members have previously referred questions to Greenspon, who has not returned Patch's messages.

Before one of the board's closed meetings, Patch asked Greenspon about the situation as she was entering the building. She repeatedly said, "No comment."

As for Covino's selection as acting superintendent, the district responded to Patch's records request by saying the assistant superintendent for academics "assumes the role of acting superintendent when the Superintendent is temporarily unavailable."

But the district provided no documentation stating that policy. A look through the board's policies yielded no results.

The district told Patch in an email that Greenspon informed Covino by phone on May 16 that he was acting superintendent "based on his position."

Covino's last day with the district is June 30. He is becoming the superintendent of La Grange School District 102.

Prentiss was placed on leave a dozen days after a new anti-Prentiss majority took control of the board. Her contract lasts through July 31, 2024.