Far Fewer LTHS Students Going To School

LA GRANGE, IL — Parents in school districts around the suburbs are demanding more in-person learning. Last semester, surveys in districts in Elmhurst and Hinsdale showed more than 80 percent of parents wanted their children in the classroom.

But in-person education is apparently not as popular these days at Lyons Township High School, with campuses in La Grange and Western Springs. In response to a Patch public records request, Lyons Township High School on Wednesday released the percentage of students who have chosen the hybrid option, meaning they attend in person two days a week and remotely the other three days.

As of mid-January, 56 percent of students were attending in person under the hybrid model, with the rest connected remotely every day. That is a significant decline from mid-October, when 75 percent of students chose that option. Nearly 800 fewer students are attending in person than in the fall.

In its response to Patch, the school indicated that the percentages change from week to week because it does not require families to commit to either hybrid or fully remote.

In a message to families last week, Principal Brian Waterman said 53 percent have selected to attend in person, which is a drop from a month earlier.

"Throughout the next several weeks, our plan is to continue to invite additional students to attend in-person classes four days per week. This plan will include extending invites in a manner that allows us to maximize in-person learning while also maintaining our commitment to our existing mitigation measures in order to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and community," said Waterman, who was recently appointed to become the superintendent starting July 1.

School spokeswoman Jennifer Bialobok said there are potentially many reasons behind the drop in students attending in person.

"It could be that they're comfortable with online. Our teachers have done a superb job with remote instruction," she said. "I do think parents have appreciated the ability to float between in person and remote."

She said the school has offered some form of hybrid or in-person learning since Oct. 19.

"We have been fortunate to have that consistency," she said.

The trend of dropping in-person attendance is being seen at other schools. In mid-November, two-thirds of students at both Hinsdale Central and South chose in-person learning as opposed to fully remote. As of this week, less than half of students — 48 percent — were going onto Central's campus. South was at 55 percent. Now, students who choose in-person learning can attend two days a week.