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By Michelle Mullins
Chicago Tribune
A Naperville District 203 School Board member censured in January for her conduct is now the subject of an eavesdropping complaint submitted to the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County state's attorney's office, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
In a letter sent to the state's attorney's office from the district's legal counsel, district officials allege board member Melissa Kelley Black made a recording of a budget advisory committee meeting without getting the consent of those in attendance, as required by state law.
No response to the complaint has been issued or charges filed as of this past week, according to the state's attorney's office.
The recording came to light at a June 2 school board meeting at which budgetary issues were being discussed, documents show.
During the discussion, Kelley Black said she had attended a May 14 meeting of the Citizens Finance Committee, a group made up of five Naperville community members, two district administrators and two board members, at which concerns were raised about district finances, including whether there would be a need to cut positions or to seek a tax referendum.
As part of her comments in June, she mentioned that she had recorded the committee meeting.
Because the committee is not a public body, its meetings are not covered by the Illinois Open Meetings Act, according to the letter from the district's attorneys. Participants would have to give permission to be recorded under state law.
Kelley Black said during the June 2 meeting that her recording device was "right in front of us," which was also noted in the district lawyer's letter to State's Attorney Robert Berlin.
In an interview with the Naperville Sun, she said she did not want to get into the details of the recording because it is the subject of a legal complaint, but stressed that she believes it is her duty as a school board member to ask difficult questions, especially on the budget, and to ensure district money is spent wisely.
She said she welcomes a third party investigation, and is certain she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
"I am disappointed they so carelessly throw around accusations/' she said.
At the June 2 school board meeting, Superintendent Dan Bridges made note of the fact that she had recorded what committee members had said, documents show.
"Did you get permission from everybody who attended or did you just violate the Eavesdropping Act in Illinois?" he asked.
Later he said, "I will be following up on the statement about recordings."
A list of members of the Citizens Finance Committee was provided to the Naperville Police Department by the district's attorneys. Police Chief Jason Arres responded via email that an "investigation will begin promptly."
Bridges also contacted the committee members to let them know about the recording, and stressed that Kelley Black's action was not condoned by the school district or by board policies, according to documents received through the FOIA request.
One member, whose name was redacted from the FOIA request, responded that they were "somewhat shocked" that Kelley Black would record the meeting without their consent.
Kelley Black, in an email sent to the Naperville Sun, said she believes Bridges deliberately ignored the budget questions she raised at the June 2 meeting by seizing on her comment about the recording.
"After requesting clarification from Superintendent Bridges regarding his comments about potential staff reductions, student service cuts and a possible referendum, I raised concerns about inconsistent financial messaging and the board's limited access to key financial documentation. This information is essential particularly as we continue voting on major capital projects and other long-term commitments.
"Rather than addressing these concerns collaboratively, the superintendent responded with public accusations and initiated a complaint without authorization from the board. I believe this response has generated unnecessary conflict and distraction at a time when unity and professional dialogue are especially important."
According to the district's communications department, the Citizens Finance Committee serves as an advisory group for the review of key financial matters, such as the budget, levy and audit. It meets two to three times a year in closed forums designed to encourage open dialogue. The committee does not have any decision-making authority, the district said.
"Due to the ongoing investigation into this matter, we are unable to comment further on the specifics of the incident at this time," Lisa Xagas, assistant superintendent for strategy and engagement, said in an email.
During a recent board meeting, Kelley Black said she believed the district was trying to intimidate her by having police officers come to her house to question her on the issue, especially right before the school board's self-evaluation session.
"There's something wrong that an elected official giving back to their community has to endure that," Kelley Black said at the July 14 school board meeting. "This just isn't good governance in my opinion. I think an outside evaluation would correct it and then we can all stop arguing and work together."
Kelley Black also questioned whether the district's lawyers, who represent the school board, should be involved in the matter.
Legal counsel should advise the board as a collective body, not the private interests of an administrator or individual board members, she said.
"Our community entrusts us with the responsibility of using district funds, and we must ensure that every expenditure, especially for legal counsel, is aligned with the board-approved purposes and complies with our ethical obligations," she said.
At the meeting where she raised questions about the complaint, board President Charles Cush stressed that Bridges had openly stated that he planned to follow up on the fact that Kelley Black had said she recorded the meeting.
"There is a third party already investigating this, and they will handle it," Cush said.
Board Vice President Kristine Gericke added that she believes it is her responsibility to alert authorities when she believes a law has been broken.
"I heard an admission of what I reasonably thought was breaking a law," she said. "... I also believe it's important for the community to understand that we do take our responsibilities very seriously, and that to me was common sense to report that we felt a law was broken."
Kelley Black sent an email to the DuPage County Regional Office of Education Board saying she planned to seek legal counsel. She also requested the board reschedule its self-evaluation in the wake of officers coming to her home, saying she believed it was part of a pattern of harassment and intimidation by the superintendent, who should not be part of the evaluation session.
In an email back to Kelley Black, Cush accused her of trying to distract from the issue at hand.
our attempt to attack and threaten the superintendent for performing his duties as the administrative head of the District is clearly an attempt to divert attention from your misconduct," he wrote.
"The District will continue to cooperate in having a review of your admissions on recording private discussions without consent. In the meantime, the Board meeting will proceed as scheduled and the Board will continue to conduct the business of the District"
The board has had previous conflicts with Kelley Black, and in January voted to censure her for unprofessional and damaging actions, citing her disclosure of private student information, spread of false information and release of collective bargaining information.
Kelley Black, who was elected to the board in April 2023, denied the allegations. She has said she is a proponent of transparency, wants to ensure fiscal responsibility and ran for school board because of her love of education.
Board members said at the time that they had tried to resolve issues with her over her conduct for about a year and a half before acting to censure her.
According to recent documents, the board is still trying to resolve those issues.
The school board wrote to Kelley Black in April notifying her that she was in violation of a censure resolution.
"Member Kelley Black continues to disrupt Board meetings, both open and closed sessions, with frequent unwarranted criticism and attacks on the Superintendent and his administrative team," according to a June letter from Cush to the DuPage County Regional Office of Education.
The letter states that the criticism and attacks are generally performative and Kelley Black willfully refuses to read the information provided to her by the administrative team.
"Tragically, the Board has had to divert significant resources including public funds purposed for its educational mission to address Member Kelley Black's willful refusal to perform her duties," according to Cush's letter, which was prepared with the help of the district's attorney.
Kelley Black said she was unaware of the letter and worries that decisions are being made by individual board members and not as a collective body.
"I have never once received a complaint from a parent or a staff member," Kelley Black said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
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