No Alert From Hinsdale D86 On Severance Package Vote

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale High School District 86 board gave no alert to the public last month that it would vote on an agreement to end Superintendent Tammy Prentiss' reign.

The state Open Meetings Act requires that public bodies give the "general subject matter" of the possible action that they may take. But District 86 and other districts often fail to do this when it comes to personnel matters, including high-profile ones.

For its June 26 meeting, the item on the agenda involving Prentiss' severance package was listed as "administrator employment and retirement agreement."

Given that the board suspended Prentiss in mid-May, it was apparent to those closely following District 86 politics that the agreement likely applied to Prentiss.

Her expected departure was no secret, yet the district would not acknowledge beforehand the agreement involved Prentiss.

The severance deal is no minor expense. Prentiss will get her full $277,000 salary this year, plus benefits. To be sure, the board included a provision in which Prentiss can be assigned duties until March, but the board has given no indication it will do this.

In 2020, the board was similarly secretive when it listed on its agenda the departure of the top human resources official, Domenico Maniscalco, as "resignation of administrator." Public records later showed Maniscalco departed unhappily.

District 86 is not alone in its secrecy. In March 2021, Elmhurst School District 205 listed an item about Superintendent Dave Moyer's departure as "resignation of employee." His name was excluded.

This secrecy made little sense. The school board had already announced that the superintendent was leaving three months earlier than expected. This followed residents' protests over Moyer's pandemic-related decisions.

Municipalities seem more open about their personnel actions. For example, the Burr Ridge Village Board's agenda in October 2020 included a "separation agreement." The online documentation revealed that it was for Village Administrator Doug Pollock, who received $38,000 in severance pay.

At the time, the board wanted Assistant Village Administrator Evan Walter to take the helm.