HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale School District 86 adopted a policy more than two years ago requiring that it have a succession plan for the superintendent.
It still does not have one.
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In May 2023, the school board decided behind closed doors to suspend then-Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and install Chris Covino, then-assistant superintendent for academics, as the acting superintendent.
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In response to Patch’s complaint, the attorney general’s office in July found the board broke the state’s open meetings law by closing the doors on its vote to suspend Prentiss.
But the agency gave the board a pass on Covino’s elevation to acting superintendent in closed session.
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In her opinion, Assistant Attorney General Shannon Barnaby said the district explained to her in a confidential written response about its process to fill an acting superintendent’s position. Because the information was presented confidentially, she said, the attorney general’s office was barred from releasing it.
Barnaby said she listened to the recording of the board’s closed discussion and that the board’s confidential answer was consistent with the discussion behind closed doors.
In its public answer to the attorney general, the district said, “Because the Assistant Superintendent for Academics assumes the role of acting superintendent when the superintendent is temporarily unavailable, Dr. Covino assumed the role of acting superintendent by nature of his position and consistent with his employment contract. No action was taken to select him as acting superintendent.”
Through a public records request in July, Patch sought any documents showing a succession plan or procedure indicating that the assistant superintendent for academics is to automatically fill the superintendent’s position when it is vacant.
In response, the district indicated it had no such documents. It cited a closed session recording that it said contained the information that Patch sought.
The district has three assistant superintendents. Their contracts state the board and superintendent reserve the right to reassign them to different duties. However, given the board is involved in such a decision, such a vote must be public under state law.
In response to a public records request in August, the board said it had no succession plan for superintendent in its files, despite the board’s own policy requiring one.
Based on the district’s responses, the public had no information before Prentiss’ suspension that Covino “by nature of his position” would be appointed.
Patch has tried to get an explanation from Barnaby, but she referred questions to a spokesman for the agency. He did not comment.
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