District 205 School Board Re-adjusts Committee Sizes Leading to Closed Meetings

9-28-14 Dist 205 1The District 205 School Board has announced the committee assignments, with no more than two board members on any committee.
This has sparked concern about public access. According to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, with less than three board members present, the committee meetings will all be closed to the public.

Board President Bob Lindstrom says no action can be taken in any committee meeting without board approval, so the controversy in unwarranted.

“No action is taken in committee meetings, the matters are looked over and brought to the full board, they’re discussed with the full board, and that’s the only place where action can take place,” says Lindstrom. “So this argument that we are doing business in secret and aren’t transparent is just not true.”

Lindstrom says the district makes information available to the public and that is is the public’s “obligation” to inform themselves on these matters.

At the board member orientation meeting, new members expressed concern about communication between the public and the board. Board Member Wayne Statham even commented saying that if he were an audience member, he would have no idea what was going on because it is not discussed in length during open meetings.

Lindstrom says the number of board members was adjusted due to the addition of the curriculum committee, with each board member serving on one committee.

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