Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Barrett attended her last District 86 board meeting as a member Monday night at Hinsdale Central, and had some words of advice for her successors.
Dianne Barrett’s favorite experiences as a District 86 board member were her talks with dedicated Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South parents about their kids. “I was all ears to the parents who had issues and wanted to see them heard,” the board member who has waged a long legal fight against the district over access to records said during her final board meeting Monday night at Hinsdale Central. Barrett, who served two four-year terms and chose not to run for re-election this spring, addressed the audience about her hopes for the new board after she was honored along with fellow outgoing board member Dennis Brennan and DeeDee Gorgol. Barrett said she hopes board members who often vote as part of a minority will not be denied information …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The contested race will be decided during next spring's municipal election on April 9.
Dianne Barrett is the only District 86 Board of Education member up for re-election next spring who will not be running, according to district administration. Wednesday was the last day those interested in running could file their nominating papers with the district. Current Board President Dennis Brennan and members Kay Gallo and DeeDee Gorgol were among those who filed along with six other challengers. Barrett has been in a legal battle with District 86 over board member access to student records since 2010. Barring any objections, the April 9 ballot will feature the following candidates for District 86 school board: See also: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There are plenty of ways to keep up on local news:
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The $75 million request represents more than a 4 percent increase over the current levy
Concerns expressed by several district residents and two board members at Monday night’s Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education did not convince a majority of the board to stop a tax levy increase. By a 5-2 vote, the board gave final approval to a $75.5 million levy request, which includes $73.1 million for capped funds like education and operations, a 4.5 percent increase over the 2011 tax levy of $69.9 million. Two dozen spectators packed the Black and Gold Room at Hinsdale South High School for the meeting, with the majority appearing to be present for the tax levy discussion. Several addressed the board on the topic during the public comments section at the beginning of the meeting. George Logan said the levy …
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The motion stemmed from a hearing in May where Barrett lawyers made an argument that had already been ruled on by DuPage County Judge Thomas Dudgeon.
DuPage County Judge Thomas Dudgeon dismissed Monday morning a District 86 motion for sanctions that would have forced board member Dianne Barrett or her lawyers to cover the district's legal costs related to a court hearing earlier this spring. District 86 attorneys had sought sanctions against Barrett after her lawyers from the Center for Open Government made a case during a May 15 hearing in Wheaton for board members' right to unfettered student-record access despite the fact that Dudgeon had already ruled against Barrett on that issue last year. After looking back on the history of the case, Dudgeon said, he did not find the Barrett side's behavior disruptive enough for sanctions. "I think [sanctions] should be used in only the most …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Judge Thomas Dudgeon did not rule Monday on the motion for sanctions against the board member by District 86.
Arguments on a motion for sanctions against Hinsdale Township High School District 86 board member Dianne Barrett were scheduled for Sept. 24 during a brief status hearing Monday in Barrett's transitioning lawsuit against District 86. The sanctions would demand that Barrett and her attorneys pay for legal costs accumulated by the district related only to a May 15 hearing in Wheaton, since Barrett's side made a case for "unfettered" student-record access by board members despite the fact that Judge Thomas Dudgeon had already ruled against Barrett on that issue in November. Executive director Natalie Brouwer Potts of the Center for Open Government, the organization supplying Barrett's counsel, said on May 15 that she thinks the district’s …
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Patch looks back at five of the most read stories from the week of May 14 to May 18.
1. Redd Herring Changes Owners, Will Become Talley's Kitchen + Bar: The Clarendon Hills restaurant will briefly close in early June and reopen with a new look and menu. 2. Dianne Barrett's Suit Against D86 Continues, Takes On Board's New Access Policy: District 86 has filed a motion for sanctions against the board member and her lawyers seeking reimbursement for costs related to latest hearing. 3. Chicago NATO Summit: A Suburbanite’s Survival Guide: Life as we know it may be disrupted a bit while the eyes of the world are on Chicago for three days. 4. Standard Market Owners Open Bakersfield Restaurant on Ogden: The Westmont restaurant opened May 1 and offers high-end dining its ownership believes the Ogden corridor was missing. 5. New Oak…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
District 86 has filed a motion for sanctions against the board member and her lawyers seeking reimbursement for costs related to latest hearing.
Dianne Barrett’s lawsuit against District 86 took a new turn at a hearing in Wheaton Tuesday and an end, for now, does not appear to be in sight. Though DuPage Judge Thomas Dudgeon stood by his November ruling that Barrett does not have a right to unfettered access to student records based on her standing as a board member, he opened the door for her lawyers at the Center for Open Government to argue against the legality of a board policy approved on March 19 demanding that all board members who request records not available to the public demonstrate how those records will help them fulfill their duty as a board member. Tuesday’s hearing was set in response to Barrett’s request to file a third amended complaint against the district that …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Board President Dennis Brennan said there is no punishment attached to the censure; it simply announces that the board disagrees with the actions of Barrett when she accused board members of bond fraud in February.
The District 86 Board of Education voted Monday night to censure board member Dianne Barrett for independently reaching out to authorities in February regarding the legality of more than $15 million in working cash bonds approved by the board that month. Board President Dennis Brennan and board members Kay Gallo, DeeDee Gorgol, Michael Kuhn, and Jennifer Planson voted in favor of the censure resolution at the board's meeting at Hinsdale Central. Richard Skoda voted against the censure and Barrett abstained. Brennan said the censure has no punishment attached to it; it’s simply an announcement by the board that they disagree with the actions of a board member. “That’s all you can do,” he said. “It makes a record of it, that you disagree …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Several board members expressed support for the censure, though one called it "petty."
The District 86 Board of Education plans to take action next month on the potential censure of a board member who independently reached out to authorities in February and accused colleagues of bond fraud. The possible censure of Dianne Barrett stems from the board member’s email to the offices of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin in which she questioned the legality of $15.4 million in working-cash bonds sold by the district in February and expressed her belief that board members who voted to approve the bond sale were guilty of fraud along with two administrators, the district’s bond counsel, and the bond sale’s underwriter. The board has discussed censuring Barrett during its last two…
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Patch looks back at five of the most read stories from the week of April 9 to April 13.
1. Barrett Seeking Judge's Permission to Reopen Lawsuit Against D86: A new District 86 board policy regarding board member access to records would be included in what Barrett's lawyers hope will be their client's third amended complaint against the district. 2. District 86 School Board Moving Forward to Censure Member: The move comes after the board was accused of bond fraud by member Dianne Barrett. 3. D181 Board Discusses Transitional ACE Program in 2012-13: Reworked identification processes will be installed to make ACE more inclusive if the district goes forward with the transition plan. 4. Human Remains Found Near Stevenson Expressway: State police say they are investigating after human remains were found near the Stevenson Expressway…
Karen Strumillo
11:40 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Sue Pircon, You know the truth! Why do you continue to allow all this abuse, to happen to the children at Hinsdale Central, along with bond fraud, along with a teacher convicted sex charges, social security number stolen, no child left behind Super Hinsdale High School failed. Why? Why are you afraid to open books? Interesting some students whom attended your school now adults would testify to … more ›