Hinsdale 86 May Respond To Equity Criticism

DARIEN, IL — In response to criticism, the Hinsdale High School District 86 board is considering a task force to find ways to make sure students have access to all the district's courses.

At recent board meetings, Hinsdale South students and parents have maintained South ends up with more class scheduling conflicts because the far smaller school is unable to offer as many class sections as Hinsdale Central. This is part of the larger narrative by South residents, who contend their school gets the short end of the stick because lower enrollment means fewer choices.

At a board meeting late last month, member Debbie Levinthal, who was elected in April, pushed for the creation of a task force to find creative ways to give everyone access to courses offered at either school. She said this proposal was the result of complaints at board meetings about scheduling conflicts at South.

Member Jeff Waters, also elected in April, said the task force could discuss a technological upgrade — one better than Zoom — to give students at each school access to classes at the other. Teachers of classes with both Central and South students, he suggested, could split their time between the schools.

Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said teachers would be unable to go to both schools. And she said scheduling conflicts were a natural part of every high school. In the local district, she said, part of the problem is that the menu of courses is too large.

"We're delivering them into too many scattered places," the superintendent said.

The district has said many of its courses are duplications of others.

Board members said they would discuss a task force at a later meeting.

One idea probably would be considered off limits by a task force — changing the boundary between Central and South, thus aligning enrollments. This is seen as politically difficult, with many Central residents fearing their houses would plunge in value if they were shifted into the South area.

In April's school board election, only one of the 10 candidates was open to changing the boundary. He lost.

Now, six of the board's seven members live in the Central zone. Only Cynthia Hanson is in the South area.