Elmhurst D205 Not Alone With Credit Card Problems

SUMMIT, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 has been reeling from a controversy over a former top official's spending of $46,000 on his district credit card for booze, cigars and other personal items.

The district is not alone.

Patch has examined the government credit card records for the superintendent of Argo Community High School in suburban Summit.

In 2023 and 2024, Superintendent William Toulios spent hundreds of dollars on what appear to be personal expenses, some of which the school has acknowledged.

Just like District 205, Argo's policy is clear: Spending on school-issued credit cards can only be for public purposes. No exceptions are made.

Some items on Toulios' bills are through apps that hide the nature of expenses. One of those apps is called Epoch. In late 2023, a listed $20 expense inadvertently included more information than likely was intended – "Sextpanthe."

Other items were for a hockey team ($175) and a high school ($275). The high school is in the area of Toulios' house in the south suburbs.

Another $625 went to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in west suburban Justice, with no indication what the money was for.

Patch obtained the documents through a public records request.

Among the records was an undated statement from 2024, in which a board member, likely the president, discussed the credit card spending.

The member said the school had received multiple Freedom of Information Act requests from an anonymous person about Toulios' credit card spending.

In reviewing the records, Toulios identified unauthorized purchases with the credit card. They amounted to $457.

The expenses were blamed on a family member who used the card without permission.

"Very humbly and emotionally, Dr. Toulios immediately reported the unauthorized purchases to the Board at its next Board meeting," the statement said, adding that he reimbursed the taxpayers.

The superintendent, who makes nearly $200,000 a year, "self-imposed" on himself a half-day forfeiture of salary.

"He personally and genuinely apologized to the Board of Education for this misstep," the statement said.

In an undated letter to Toulios, board President Dan Kozal said the board accepted his self-imposed discipline.

"Your awareness and oversight, as they related to your budget accounts, need improvement and a monthly review of encumbered expenses charged to your procurement card and account balances," Kozal said.

The board's acceptance of the discipline is a "measure to impress upon you the seriousness" of the violation, Kozal said.

Toulios and Kozal did not return an emailed message for comment Monday.

Under new policies, the administrative assistant in each department will review all expenditures before submitting them to the business office. All credit card expenditures must include purchase order forms, according to school records.