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 case 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 …
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 …
Friday, April 13, 2012
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.
Six months after he dismissed Dianne Barrett’s lawsuit against the leadership of Hinsdale Township High School District 86, DuPage Judge Thomas Dudgeon will hear arguments at a May 15 hearing on whether or not he should allow the board member to file a third amended complaint against Superintendent Dr. Nick Wahl and Board President Dennis Brennan regarding access to district records. In March, Dudgeon OK’d the reopening of one aspect of the suit that pertains to Barrett’s access to audiotapes of closed-session board meetings she missed. Executive director Natalie Brouwer Potts of the Center for Open Government, the organization supplying Barrett’s legal counsel, said she hopes the judge will expand that action to the entire suit, …
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.
Six months after he dismissed Dianne Barrett’s lawsuit against the leadership of Hinsdale Township High School District 86, DuPage Judge Thomas Dudgeon will hear arguments at a May 15 hearing on whether or not he should allow the board member to file a third amended complaint against Superintendent Dr. Nick Wahl and Board President Dennis Brennan regarding access to district records. In March, Dudgeon OK’d the reopening of one aspect of the suit that pertains to Barrett’s access to audiotapes of closed-session board meetings she missed. Executive director Natalie Brouwer Potts of the Center for Open Government, the organization supplying Barrett’s legal counsel, said she hopes the judge will expand that action to the entire suit, …
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The board member requested an investigation into whether the district acted illegally when it approved bonds last month that will fund the installation of air conditioning at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South.
Editor's note: District 86 announced in its Board Briefs newsletter on March 21 that Attorney General Lisa Madigan's Office alerted the district on March 19 that it doesn't plan on investigating the district for bond fraud. According to the district, the attorney general's office said it reviewed materials sent by the accuser, board member Dianne Barrett, as well as the response from the district's law firm, Scariano, Himes and Petrarca, and bond counsel, Chapman and Cutler, LLP. Madigan's office "[does] not anticipate taking any further action at this time." District 86's attorneys will reach out to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to find out whether either of those offices plans to …
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 ›