D-211 Votes No On Video Of Meetings

Video of school board meetings will not make it on the district's website after school board members voted against the idea.

School board member Bill Roberston had proposed the district purchase two cameras, video school board proceedings and place the video on the district's website.

"Let's record the meetings with a two-camera system, keep it simple. Let's not go crazy with expenses but at the same time have a happy medium between quality and just getting the information out there," Robertson said.

Robertson capped the cost of his plan at $10,000. His proposal was a much more scaled down proposal compared to other options the school district had looked into.

District 211 Superintendent Nancy Robb for systems that would involve as many as four cameras and allow the broadcast or live streaming of meetings.

School board member Anna Klimkowicz said she was supportive of Robertson's idea. Klimkowicz said that although board documents are online, discussions by board members are not.

"You don't see the passion and the discussion," Klimkowicz said. "That's where my heart is in regards to it."

Klimkowicz also said presentations at board meetings – about curriculum, academic programs, finances – should be better shared with the public.

"I just think it's so important to keep that communication open," she said.

However, school board member George Brandt said the school board is transparent in how it conducts its business. As for public interest, Brandt said "outlets like the Patch or the Daily Herald or the Tribune would already be doing this...If it was so easy and so cheap to do they would certainly sit here with a camera and post it."

Brandt said everything the board, including every check that is written, already is on the Internet. He said the motion was incomplete because it did not contain staff costs.

"I find no value in using public funds when it can be done privately," Brandt said.

Board member Edward Yung said he was concerned because part of the district is Spanish speaking and wondered whether the videos should be translated into Spanish or have subtitles.

"I'm not sure that we're really achieving what we should be achieving, making this thing totally open to the public," Yung said.

However, board member Mucia Burke pointed out that the school district does not translate documents it places online into Spanish.

Richard Gerber, Jung, Robert LeFevre, Jr. and Brandt voted against the motion. Robertson, Klimkowicz and Burke voted in favor of it.