COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. (WGN) — District 160 in Country Club Hills is considering additional changes as officials attempt to address a range of financial issues.
Tuesday night brought another switch-up on the school board, following the installation of two new interim superintendents in September, employed on a part-time basis, who WGN has learned will be paid $1,200 a day, each.
Board member Barbara Swain takes over as secretary, replacing Jacqueline Doss, who has missed several of the last meetings.
WGN has previously reported on the district’s woes, covering stories of questionable spending, the unapproved sale of a district-owned Ford F-150 to Doss, and $866,000 spent on one credit card in the district’s name between January 2023 and June 2025.
Purchases included high-end meals and luxury stays at the likes of the Bellagio in Vegas.
A year prior, the board voted to increase their daily allowance for such trips, from $100 to $200 per day.
So, WGN asked the district for receipts showing how each person spent their $200 a day in Vegas. Only one board member, Doris Blackwell, filed her expenses upon return, but recovered receipts only accounted for $725.
Where did the money come from?
It turned out to be a mix of local cash, from taxpayers, plus state and federal funding, and it’s managed by the Bremen Township Trustees of Schools, who act as the treasury for 10 school districts in the area.
Over the last two and a half years, the Bremen Township Trustees of Schools signed checks totaling $75,417.11 to six individuals, despite no one appearing to have a clear understanding of how the money was spent.
Board members will now be required to submit expense reports and related receipts for all future conferences.
Other issues continue, as parents noted Tuesday that bullying has become a growing problem in the district. As such, a student blackout is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1, where the request is that students stay home as a means of protest.
Brónagh Tumulty
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