Amid Investigation, New Elmhurst 205 Officials Hired

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 is bringing on new officials to replace those who departed under a cloud.

Mohsin Dada, a former top finance official for Hinsdale School District 181, is set to become the interim assistant superintendent of finance starting next week. His contract lasts through June.

Last month, the current assistant superintendent, Chris Whelton, struck a severance agreement with the board. The district said his office's practices were under investigation. The parties agreed that the district would not interfere with any claim from Whelton for unemployment benefits.

On Jan. 22, the district hired Brent Braski as the interim facilities director through June. Until December, Braski had been the director of building maintenance for Kane County for two years.

Braski is taking the spot of Todd Schmidt, who held the job for six years.

Schmidt resigned in early December, shortly after he was jailed on felony charges. Rockford police accused Schmidt of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from his mother after his father died.

Through a public records request, Patch found that Schmidt used his district credit card for at least $46,000 in personal expenditures, including booze, cigars, restaurant meals, airfares, groceries and payments to a sorority.

He reimbursed the district every month, so he was essentially getting short-term loans. The district has yet to say who approved the arrangement. Its policy strictly bars using district cards for personal spending.

Schmidt oversaw $168 million in building projects that were approved as part of a 2018 property tax hike referendum.

The information on the new officials came as part of the school board's personnel report for its Wednesday meeting.