Grayslake Dist. 46 board members looking into posting documents online

Two Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members will study what documents should be posted online for easy public access.

District 46 board members Susan Facklam and Michael Carbone will lead the effort. Facklam said a formal list will serve as a guide for future boards.

Similar to a smattering of other suburban school systems, District 46 now offers a check summary on its website. The information includes specifics such as check amount, the individual or vendor paid and business purpose.

But Carbone raised the issue of what other information beyond the check journal should be on the district website when he spoke at a recent board meeting. That led to the idea of Carbone and Facklam working on a list of possibilities for posting. At some point, it would be presented to fellow board members for formal action.

Carbone said offering more easily accessed information to the public could reduce the number of Freedom of Information Act requests to District 46.

"At the (April 28) meeting, we were FOIAed for a lot of different reasons," Carbone said.

Local activist Lennie Jarratt submitted 21 FOIA requests at the April 28 session on behalf of district residents and others living outside the boundaries in Mettawa and Lakemoor. In a website posting alongside summaries of the 21 FOIAs, the district states it cost $3,314 and 65.5 man-hours to handle the requests.