District 86's 'Sheer Volume' Of Bad Grades: Official

DARIEN, IL — The superintendent of Hinsdale Central and South high schools didn't mince her words last week when speaking about the effects of remote learning on students.

At Thursday's school board meeting, Tammy Prentiss, superintendent of Hinsdale High School District 86, said students were suffering more "academic duress" than is the norm for both schools.

Prentiss said the district is "all hands on deck" identifying struggling students and making sure they come into the school for extra help, so the semester is not lost for them.

"The sheer volume of D's and F's are a problem at both campuses," the superintendent told the board.

In August, the district began its school year entirely remote. On Oct. 5, it started allowing 25 percent of students at a time daily for shortened days of in-person learning.

At the meeting, member Marty Turek said he was also concerned about students who typically get B's falling to C's and those with A's dropping to B's.

Prentiss responded that students were having difficulty not having interactions, adding, "Frequency on campus matters." She said many students were good at checking in.

"There are a multitude of ways they can advocate for themselves," she said.

Prentiss said she did not expect full days for students this semester. She said officials have been told to stop changing the schedule.

In a statement Tuesday, district spokesman Chris Jasculca said the number of D's and F's is higher than normal this year.

"As a result, we are working with our building administrators and counseling departments to identify individuals who we can bring on campus for additional interventions and support, while also continuing to take the necessary steps and precautions to keep our students, staff, families and community healthy and safe," he said.