Geneva D-304 begins posting board packet info early

GENEVA – For the first time, Geneva District 304 quietly started posting its board packet information online ahead of the Aug. 22 instead of withholding it until the afternoon of the meeting.

State law requires agendas for public meetings be posted 48 hours in advance, so for Monday meetings, most public bodies post agendas and packets on the Thursday before.

Packet information expands on what is in the agenda, such as memos, reports and contracts and other items that the public body is expected to vote on.

District spokeswoman Sandra Manisco stated in an email that the district began releasing the information early with the Aug. 22 meeting.

“However, when we do this, it is a draft, as we may need to update the agenda as late as the Monday afternoon of the meeting,” Manisco’s email stated. “In the past, we waited until Monday when we had the final version.”

Other public bodies, such as the Geneva City Council and Committee of the Whole, not only show current agendas on the city’s website, but offer drop-down menus showing earlier versions.

Also in August, District 304 began including administrative presentations in the board packets. These presentations highlight different departments’ work and sometimes seek board action, such as for new textbooks, technology or buildings’ needs.

Board member Paul Radlinsky, who took his seat in March, had said at the Aug. 8 meeting that he wanted to see the administrative presentations ahead of time, as opposed to during them.

Radlinsky had said knowing what was in the presentations would give board members an opportunity to “prepare and digest what is being presented.”

“I’ve been very pleased to see the information there,” Radlinsky said. “For me personally, to be be better prepared to ask good questions and to be a more responsible board member to the community.”

Board President Michael McCormick had said after the Aug. 8 meeting that he would look into it with Superintendent Kent Mutchler, and then the district started following through.

The district’s agendas and board packets are online at meetings.boardbook.org.