Smaller Class Sizes At Hinsdale South?

DARIEN, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 board members expressed interest last week in looking at staffing levels at the two high schools.

During a board meeting, member Debbie Levinthal suggested the board discuss how to possibly run smaller-sized classes at Hinsdale South. That is because South, with half of Hinsdale Central's enrollment, has a smaller course selection.

She and others referred to addressing the "staffing framework," which involves the number of teachers at Central and South.

It is unclear exactly how the board would go about achieving reduced class sizes at South.

One option would be for the district to offset the expense by increasing class sizes at Central. Another possibility is hiking the overall number of teachers, which would likely require a tax increase, major shifts in spending or both.

For years, district officials said they have kept staffing relatively flat at both campuses.

Last year, the average class size was 23 at both campuses, according to the Illinois Report Card.

At the meeting, Levinthal also said the district could provide transportation for students to go between the campuses to take their desired courses. She said early-bird courses could also help.

Board President Catherine Greenspon said all the board's committees, including finance, would likely need to be brought into the discussion.

Interim Superintendent Linda Yonke, who started last week, said the administration would look into the issue.

Since 2021, Levinthal has been seeking "creative solutions" so that students have equal opportunities for courses.

According to the district's data, 16.4 percent of students at South last year were denied one of their course selections. At Central, 1.5 percent of students experienced the same problem.

Because of its smaller size, more classes at South are canceled because of insufficient enrollment.

Six of the seven board members, including Levinthal, come from the Central zone. Asma Akhras is the exception.