District 46 leaders spar over website updating

While Grayslake Elementary District 46’s website hasn’t always been current with the financial information promised to taxpayers, some school board members question whether a formal content policy would improve matters.

Discussion on the topic became testy at times this week as board member Karen Weinert sparred with colleague Michael Carbone on his call for a website policy.

Officials in early 2010 agreed to post an online check journal listing specifics on payments made by the district, including the amount, individual or vendor paid and business purpose. Carbone and a representative from Americans for Prosperity, a conservative-leaning advocacy group, pushed for the journal.

However, Carbone said, information wound up posted months late at one point.

Weinert argued this week that if the check journal had that much public demand, the lack of updates would have been noticed.

“Obviously, nobody was even looking at it,” she said. “That’s just rhetoric that’s not really productive, Karen,” Carbone responded. “I can use that same scenario on a whole different line item of issues. So you’re saying this (check journal) isn’t as important, so we don’t need a policy.”

District 46 board President Mary Garcia suggested elected officials and district administrators reach an agreement so that certain information on the website, such as the check journal, be updated. Garcia said an examination of website information can be made once a month.

“There does need to be accountability,” she said. “If we’re going to tell the public it’s going to be on our website and we don’t have it on our website, shame on us. It needs to be there.”

Board member Susan Facklam said noted that much of what’s on the website doesn’t have to be examined monthly to make sure it’s updated.

District 46 has posted the latest check journal from Jan. 13. Under a website section for 2010-11 academic year Freedom of Information Act requests, the only ones listed are from the 2009-10 year.