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By Pamela Lannom
plannom@thehinsdalean.com
Village had more than 900 FOIA requests in last year, school districts get far fewer
Last week was Sunshine Week, an initiative launched by the American Society of News Editors in 2005 to encourage conversation about the importance of open government.
One of the laws promoting open governance is the Freedom of Information Act allowing journalists and private citizens to file requests for and obtain public documents, provided they do not fall under a handful of exceptions.
Locally, the village of Hinsdale received 920 FOIA requests from March 3, 2025, to March 18, 2026. Hinsdale High School District 86 received the second-most FOIA requests in the past year, with 162. Community Consolidated School District 181 received the fewest with 72.
Most of the village's requests - 674 out of the 920 - are related to police or fire, according to a spreadsheet provided by village clerk Emily Tompkins. Those requests fell into six different areas (see chart). The second and third largest categories of requests were for permits (89) and building records (33).
Mike Hogan, records clerk for the Hinsdale police department, works with Tompkins to respond to requests that are police related.
Hogan said most of the requests come from regular citizens, not attorneys. Body cam video is stored by date (and a report number if it is a flagged event) and is easy to find. Requesters are emailed a link that allows them to access the video.
A majority of the requests are filled, most with redactions, Hogan said. The department cannot release juvenile arrest records or records that would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or if the release would interfere with an active criminal investigation.
The responses usually are not sent to legal for a review.
"The Officer-Worn Body Camera Act gives good guidance on the release of videos," Hogan said. "The attorney general's office also provides yearly training to help us as well."
That's not the case in District 86, which receives some complicated requests for information.
FOIA officer Deb Kedrowski said 50 to 60 percent of the requests require a legal review before responses can be provided. Often that review involves identifying information that needs to be redacted.
The district uses an online FOIA portal through which people can file requests. The software then notifies Kedrowski along with other administrators who might be involved in gathering information.
"Ultimately, the final records are loaded into the system and a letter of response outlining our redactions, if any, or notifying the requester of 'unduly burdensome' are provided," she said.
The district used to track the legal fees related to FOIA reviews but no longer does so.
"I think that people who truly have a concern that we might not be doing the right thing and are searching for those answers aren't really influenced by the cost of it, because the end justifies the means for them," Kedrowski said.
Trying to track staff time is not really practical, she said.
"We have said publicly that FOIA is nobody's full time job, but it's everybody's part-time job," Kedrowski said. "If you are called to produce a FOIA response, you've got a clock and you've got to answer and you may not be expecting that. You've got to figure it into your work schedule to do it or you've got to do it outside of work areas."
The district is required to conduct a "reasonable" search for responsive materials. That might mean searching documents electronically, asking board members to search their text messages or physically looking through documents.
"I have a FOIA right now where I was down in the cage behind the Bouchard Family Fitness Center," Kedrowski said. "There are several records stored in a cage down there on shelves."
Board members and administrators do not get involved in processing FOIA requests, board President Cat Greenspon said.
"What the previous board did was that we made sure there was a clear and defined wall between the board and FOIA and administration and FOIA, because it can only be the FOIA officer and legal that responds to FOIAs directly," she said. Kedrowski concurred.
"Whether we want to release it or not release it really is a legal construct, not an opinion construct," she said.
Greenspon said she Most of the FOIA requests the village receives are for the police department, with most of those being for body warn camera videos. District 86 issues a FOIA report each month that includes a chart showing how much staff time was spent filling the requests. respects First Amendment rights and FOIA obligations but sometimes wonders about multiple requests for the same information that are worded slightly differently. She also is troubled by the anger from filers who don't get the information they want.
"The personal attacks that come from them is sometimes just a bit much, because the staff ends up being exhausted and feeling terrible because no matter how hard they work at trying to fill the FOIAs, it just is never enough," Greenspon said.
Kedrowski said she is passionate about FOIA and does her best to get people the information they want.
"I don't think I could put the hours, time or take the feedback if I didn't feel strongly about it," she said. "I will say FOIA has been the source of the highest praise I've received from the community and the highest criticism I've received from the community.
"Everyone is passionate," she added. "I'm doing my best to get them what they're looking for and sometimes what they want isn't there. And sometimes what they get isn't the answer they hoped for."
"Whether we want to release it or not release it really is a legal construct, not an opinion construct."
- District 86 FOIA officer Deb Kedrowski
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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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