Cuts Advised For Hinsdale D86 Program; Costs Spike In Recent Years

HINSDALE, IL – For months, residents have expressed alarm as a consultant reviews the rising costs in a Hinsdale High School District 86 program.

The Transition Center, with operations in Darien and Burr Ridge, helps those with disabilities between 18 and 22 gain skills.

Late last year, the school board hired a consultant because per-student costs at the Transition Center increased to $89,000, from $43,500 three years earlier.

At $89,000, the spending per student is more than three times that of Central and South high schools. Typically, expenditures for students with disabilities are higher.

At school board meetings, former Transition Center students and parents have credited the program with turnarounds. They argued against cuts.

In his March 3 report, consultant Daniel Cates said the program has demonstrated a lot of success. Exit data for 67 students over the last three years show that 43 percent have achieved "competitive" employment, nearly double the national average.

He attributed the cost hikes to evolving state accounting procedures, enrollment fluctuations, the addition of services and state eligibility changes.

Cates advised the district to recognize the threat posed by "uncritical acceptance of unlimited cost growth."

At the same time, he said the district needed to avoid cost cuts that compromise the program's "exceptional" outcomes.

The center serves anywhere from 80 to 120 students each year, according to the report. Cates said the center faces a projected 37 percent enrollment increase.

Cates' report included recommendations for ways to cut spending, along with related information:

• Base staffing on medium enrollment projections rather than high ones. Historical data consistently shows gaps between recommended students and actual enrollment.
• Align faculty with legal class size. Examine whether classes below capacity reflect documented student needs or historical practice.
• Tighten staffing efficiency during predictable low-activity periods.
• Decrease third-party bus monitors where multiple adults aren't needed. This requires a route-by-route analysis. Also, consider smaller district vehicles in place of contracted full bus routes for smaller groups.
• Prioritize student independence. Systematically fade supports for students demonstrating readiness.

"The recommendations in this report offer a balanced approach: preserving individualized programming, authentic experiences, and intensive supports while identifying operational improvements that enhance fiscal sustainability for current and future students," Cates said.

Longtime district watchdog Linda Burke said it is deceptive to use $89,000 as the per-student cost for the Transition Center. She said the consultant himself advises against taking the number out of context.

She points to the consultant's statement that the state's accounting changes were one of the reasons for the spike in costs.

"Of all expenditures that could be trimmed, why the Transition Center?" Burke said in an email to Patch. "All of our expenditures are rising. Why target a program that is working well for our most vulnerable kids?"

The school board plans to discuss Cates' report at its meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in Hinsdale Central's library.