East Central Reporter

During their May 2025 meeting, the Board of Trustees of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 approved two student residency settlements. These settlements waived any fees for the students for the 2024-2025 school year.

A local newspaper reporter submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain copies of these settlements. The district denied this request, citing them as "student records" and therefore prohibited from release. However, when another FOIA request was filed for the same documents, the district provided them.

According to Section 2.20 of the Freedom of Information Act, settlement agreements are public records subject to inspection and copying by the public: “Sec. 2.20. Settlement and severance agreements. All settlement and severance agreements entered into by or on behalf of a public body are public records subject to inspection and copying by the public, provided that information exempt from disclosure under Section 7 of this Act may be redacted.”

The discrepancy in handling these requests raises questions about compliance with FOIA regulations within the district. There is a suggestion that the board review its policies and ensure FOIA officers properly comply with records requests.