Hard For Public To Get Hinsdale D86 Teacher Data: Officials

HINSDALE, IL – Officials from Hinsdale High School District 86 acknowledged this week that it's hard for the public to check whether certain teachers are working full-time schedules.

They were responding to a watchdog's struggle to get information to determine whether teachers are actually part time or full time.

Last month, watchdog Alan Hruby of Burr Ridge analyzed district records and determined that 29 teachers who were listed as part time were getting full-time salaries.

Answering Hruby, two board members said another dataset showed the teachers in question have roles outside a typical classroom. Such roles include serving as assistant department chairs, interventionists and self-contained special education teachers.

After reexamining the issue, Hruby said he still couldn't reconcile the full-time pay for 10 of the teachers.

On Tuesday, the school board's human resources committee took up the issue. Members agreed it was difficult to reconcile the data.

"There are a ton of moving pieces. So it would be hard to have an in-the-moment, accurate reflection of where people are (for data purposes)," Mitha said. "If someone's on leave, they might not have been on leave last month, etc."

Board President Catherine Greenspon suggested the district regularly report the numbers, so everyone's operating from the same data.

She also said the district could compare the board-approved staffing in March to the actual numbers now.

"That would be super-interesting," Greenspon said.

In an email to school officials after the meeting, Hruby said he was pleased with the discussion about tying the information systems together.

In another message, he told the officials that a Patch reporter had asked him whether he got the information to reconcile the 10 teachers who appear to be part time but get full-time pay.

"Sadly, I had to tell him no," Hruby said. "I thought I would contact you in the hope that you will confirm that the information will be forthcoming."