Mrs. Vitone spoke at the March 13, 2019 board meeting (starting at 19:35)
“… I recently submitted a FOIA requesting the budget of the PR department plus all its receipts, and I got to tell ya, that FOIA got my blood boiling…”
Sample FOIA Pages
The FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) was multiple files, with a total 496 pages of receipts – here are just a few:
- staff appriciation food & Von Maur
- Wheaton Chamber of Commerce show
- Rotary Club Chistmas
- N. IL Food Bank Cup of Hope
- inspra conference Tx 3.36
The question is How do these expenditures serve a public purpose? How do they help the students learn? What district policy / school code entry (i.e. LAW) authorizes them. Some expenses appear legitimate, many are questionable. Stay tuned…
Constitution of the State of Illinois
ARTICLE VIII
FINANCE
SECTION 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
(a) Public funds, property or credit shall be used only
for public purposes.
(b) The State, units of local government and school
districts shall incur obligations for payment or make
payments from public funds only as authorized by law or
ordinance.
(c) Reports and records of the obligation, receipt and
use of public funds of the State, units of local government
and school districts are public records available for
inspection by the public according to law.
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
As a very involved former parent, for many years, former Lowell PTA President 2 years, PTA Council Board member 1 year and Franklin Middle School PTA President 2 years. I attended meetings and submitted dozens of FOIA’s. Years ago I called attention to the irresponsible and egregious spending that has been occurring in the District, similar to what I discovered in my recent FOIA. What has been discovered in these FOIA’s is a blatant disregard for taxpayer money that is for the purpose of the education of our students, not for shopping at Von Maur for costume jewelry or attending a chamber of commerce fashion show with several people and having the taxpayer foot the bill, and much more. I received hundreds of pages of wasteful spending. Illinois has the 2nd highest property taxes in the country, and is it any wonder with what is being discovered through these FOIA’s. If you are troubled by this wasteful spending please contact the School Board at Board@cusd200.org and tell them to stop this wasteful spending and to do their job as a public servant.
Mary Ann Vitone
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