Hinsdale South Leader Wants To Avoid 'Steering' Allegations

DARIEN, IL – Hinsdale South High School's principal on Thursday disagreed with suggestions that the school market a particular course at the expense of others.

Such marketing, Principal Patrick Hardy said, would again open the school to accusations that it was "steering" students to a particular course.

Among those who made those allegations earlier this year was Jeff Waters, a Hinsdale High School District 86 board member.

He said the school was trying to dissuade students from taking the traditional track of biology for freshmen, chemistry for sophomores and physics for juniors.

South has long done the sequence in reverse. In 2019, the board decided to only offer the reverse track at both schools.

That led to an uproar at Central, which likely contributed to the 2021 election victories of Waters and others. Later in 2021, the board struck a compromise offering both tracks at each school.

It has worked out at Central, but only a handful of students at South have chosen biology first, which resulted in the steering allegations.

At Thursday's board meeting, Waters said the school should promote the honors biology course for incoming freshmen because of the low enrollment. Three students originally signed up, so the course was canceled. After the board's intervention, it was offered again; two of the three said they were still interested.

Waters said taxpayers may not be happy that they may pay for a course with such low enrollment. He said the school should inform all students that the biology course is available if they want to reconsider it.

Principal Hardy said he would follow the direction of the interim superintendents. But he said favoring a specific course over others may get the school in trouble.

"I'm uncomfortable marketing a specific course. We should market all courses," Hardy said. "I realize this is a politically charged topic. We are constantly accused of steering students to some courses. Let's market all courses equally."

Additionally, he said, if the school marketed one course, other teachers would see their classes diminish.

Member Heather Kartsounes agreed with Hardy, but said the school could market all low-enrollment courses.

During the discussion, Hardy had to leave early to speak at the school's National Honor Society ceremony. He said he wanted to make the reason clear for his exit because "people like to make stuff up."

After Hardy left, officials generally agreed that they could inform students of all low-enrollment courses.