'Nitpicky': Hinsdale D86 Board Clashes Over Delay

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 board members on Thursday agreed that they need to repeal the policy requiring foreign exchange students to pay $30,000 in tuition.

But they were unable to take action because the issue was not on the meeting agenda.

Board President Catherine Greenspon said it wasn't on the agenda because the board's lawyer asked whether any other governmental agency had ever reimbursed the district for exchange students' costs. She said she did not want to open the district to liability.

But she said the district did not get an answer from the administration in time for the meeting.

Board member Liz Mitha said the issue should have been put on the agenda. The board could have always delayed a decision if it hadn't received the information.

"I don't want to nitpick," she said.

However, member Asma Akhras said Mitha was being a "little bit nitpicky." She said the board operates under a tight time frame with its agenda.

Greenspon said the board did not get a final answer from its lawyer because it got no response from the administration.

She looked over at Superintendent Michael Lach, "Yes, Mike. That's absolutely correct."

At the end of the discussion, she asked Josh Stephenson, the district's top finance official, "So, Josh, we'll get the information from you tomorrow?"

"Right now," he responded.

"Do you have it right now?" she asked.

He said he had shared the information two days earlier.

She asked Stephenson to forward the information to her and others.

During the public comment period later in the meeting, resident Natasha Joas asked, "What does that mean when you say you gave it two days ago? Where did it go? You sent it two days ago."

No one responded; the board usually doesn't, citing one of its policies.

"I'm obviously missing something," she said. "OK, I'll just say thank you then."

Late last month, residents expressed concern about the foreign exchange policy at a board meeting. They said the tuition cost was prohibitive.