Hinsdale D86 Board Plans Closed Meeting

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale High School District 86 board plans to close its doors Tuesday to discuss personnel issues or its law firm.

On Saturday afternoon, the board posted its agenda for its meeting, which is set to start at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the district's central office.

The only item is a closed session. No action is planned, but the public will get a chance to give comments before the doors are closed.

Patch left a text message for comment Saturday with board President Catherine Greenspon, but she did not return it.

Greenspon and members Kay Gallo and Asma Akhras took office Wednesday. In their campaigns, Greenspon and Gallo were outspoken about their opposition to Superintendent Tammy Prentiss.

They joined members Debbie Levinthal, Jeff Waters and Peggy James, who are Prentiss opponents. The two other members are Asma Akhras and Terri Walker.

Prentiss' contract run throughJuly 31, 2024.

In its announcement, the board used wording from the state Open Meetings Act as its legal justification to close the doors.

That law allows closed discussions about specific employees or outside legal counsel. The district's law firm is Itasca-based Hodges Loizzi, which specializes in representing schools.

The superintendent's opponents have taken issue with Hodges Loizzi. For instance, the law firm defended the district's decision to keep secret board emails after a controversy involving anti-racist consultants in 2021.

James and Levinthal appealed the decision with the attorney general's office, which sided with the district.

As for the superintendent, Gallo led an online petition calling for Prentiss' ouster. That followed an uproar early last year over the superintendent's handling of a prospective anti-racist consultant and mask mandates.