Idea For Hinsdale D-86 Equity Draws Criticism

DARIEN, IL — A suggestion that Hinsdale South High School could benefit from Hinsdale Central's classes through remote technology received a thumbs down from two South students last week.

During a Hinsdale High School District 86 school board meeting, students Zeeshan Razzaq and Anastasia Galinski both noted the suggestion from board member Jeff Waters.

"The learning model of Zoom in a Room has already been tried and has largely been unsuccessful and unpopular among students, teachers and parents alike," Razzaq said. "Please reduce class sizes and/or run more class sections at Hinsdale South. If cost is an issue, increase South's enrollment."

Galinski said that if Zoom is just as good as in-person instruction, Central would not object to receiving its fair share of remote learning.

"If it's not just as good, wouldn't the delivery of a course virtually at a school while providing it in person at the other be another inequity in District 86?" Galinski said. "Wouldn't equality of opportunity then require the teacher to alternate teaching in person between the two schools in order to have one-on-one relationships with all students at both schools?"

During a mid-May board meeting, members heard a number of comments that South received fewer opportunities in class offerings than the larger and wealthier Hinsdale Central. South residents have pushed for a boundary change between the schools to balance enrollment, thus allowing more course offerings at South. Some Central residents object to shifting the boundary out of fear they may end up in the South zone and see their property values plunge.

Waters, who lives in the Central zone, suggested at the mid-May meeting that money dedicated for another purpose could be shifted to technology, allowing South students to be connected remotely to Central classes, which he said could lessen their concerns.

At Wednesday's meeting, Waters said Zoom is not ideal and that an upgrade from that platform was needed. He said the remote technology could be used at both South and Central.

After a year of remote learning, many want to leave that type of instruction behind. Elmhurst School District 205 officials learned of that feeling last month when it proposed to make its junior high French classes remote two-thirds of the time next year, with a teacher rotating among schools.

This plan upset parents, who informed school board members, who had been left out of the loop. Within days, the district reversed itself, promising in-person instruction.