Differences Apparent at First Meeting of New D86 Board

If Monday night’s Hinsdale Township High School District 86 School Board meeting was any indication of the future, district residents can expect plenty of 5-2 votes.

The splits began as soon as new board members Jennifer Planson and Dr. Richard Skoda were sworn in, replacing former members George Kumis and Vinaya Sharma. Skoda nominated Dianne Barrett to be board president, but returning board president Dennis Brennan was re-elected by a 5-2 vote. Barrett then nominated Skoda for vice president, but the board voted 5-2 in favor of Michael Kuhn for that post.

Finally, Skoda nominated Planson for board secretary, with a second from Barrett. But Planson and four other board members voted instead for Dee Dee Gorgol.

Committee commitments

Next on the agenda was committee appointments. Skoda and Barrett each questioned what committees should exist, if any. Skoda asked if Monday's meeting was the proper time for such considerations, “or did I miss it?”

“No, this is your first meeting,” Brennan said. “I don’t think you missed it.”

Citing a need for openness, Barrett suggested that committees should meet prior to board meetings or discussions should be held before the whole board.

“I think when there’s a discussion of finances, we should all be in attendance,” Barrett said.

Brennan said no district business is done behind closed doors.

“I think these [committees] were set up so we didn’t have board meetings that go to 12 or one o’clock in the morning," Brennan said. "I think it’s a system that’s worked for us.”

Noting that the board essentially had only two regular committees—facilities and finance—Skoda suggested the board return to a liaison system like the one that existed when he previously served on the board.

“I think that saved a lot of wear and tear on staff and administration,” he said.

Barrett observed that some districts had appointed community members with specific experience, particularly financial, to serve on committees.

“I think there’s nothing wrong with involving the public,” she said.

But the other board members expressed a desire to stick with the existing committee structures.

“I think the way we have done it is very methodical and time-saving,” Kay Gallo said.

Brennan appointed Kuhn and Gorgol to the Facilities Committee, Gallo and Planson to the Finance Committee, Planson and Gallo to the District Roundtable Committee, and Barrett and himself to the Insurance Committee.

The district's collective bargaining agreement with the education association stipulates there must be a District Roundtable Committee and Insurance Committee.

Skoda was not appointed to any committees and a brief exchange between Brennan and him followed. Brennan noting he had contacted all of the board members to ask what committees they would be interested in serving on.

“You offered me one position and I said I didn’t think so,” Skoda said.

Brennan then asked Skoda if he wanted to serve on a committee and Skoda said Brennan should continue as planned.

Brennan appointed Gallo and Kuhn to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee, which reviews the minutes of closed sessions twice per year, and Gorgol to be the board’s representative on the Governing Board of the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Not so routine

Skoda and Barrett raised questions about several agenda items. Skoda delayed a motion for adjournment with questions about whether the board was following Robert’s Rules of Order and how board members could get items on the agenda.

Brennan said board members could make requests to have items placed on the agenda through him, and that he had never refused such a request.

Skoda also asked why the names of people being hired were not announced at the board meeting.

“We do that after they’re hired,” Brennan said. “We don’t prior to the vote.”

One of the positions being filled Monday was an assistant principal of curriculum position, prompting Barrett to suggest exit interviews be conducted with administrators leaving the district.

“A lot of corporations do exit interviews,” Barrett said.

Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Wahl said exit interviews with outgoing employees are done administratively.