District 86 Eliminates Football, Marching Band, Swimming

HINSDALE, IL — To address a budget shortfall and infrastructure improvements, Hinsdale Central and South will no longer have football, wrestling, cheerleading, dance, boys and girls' swimming, boys and girls' water polo, and marching band for the 2019-20 school year. Several other sports and activities were also eliminated. The District 86 Board of Education voted for the eliminations at the Monday, Dec. 17 meeting.

According to the district website, the board needed to allocate at least an additional $2.1 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year. The program cuts will provide that money, in addition to the $1.8 million already allocated in annual operational funds. In addition to sports and activities eliminations, the board also voted to increase class sizes at both schools.

The full list of sports eliminated include: bass fishing, boys swimming, boys water polo, football, girls swimming, girls water polo, wrestling, poms, cheerleading, danceline and marching band at both high schools.

Activities/clubs at Central eliminated include: Athletes Committed to Excellence/Red Devil Nation, Ambassadors, all grade levels class sponsor, debate, drama club, French club, freshman play, German club, jazz combo, J. Kyle Braid program, Latin Club, Let's Help Out, microfinance, newspaper, National Honor Society, Peer Leadership, pep band, photo club, production assistant, puzzle club, robotics, SADD, Sept. show, Spanish Club, spring play, Variety Show, Varsity Club and yearbook.

At South, activities eliminated are: Athletes Committed to Excellence, Ambassadors, Amnestry International/Human Rights, archery, art club, art honor society, American Sign Language, book club, all grade levels class sponsor, creative writing club, drama club, French club, German club, Habitat for Humanity, Homecoming committee, Hornet 101, Hornet Havoc, HSTV Buzz, IHSA Group Interpretation, IHSA Performance in the Round, improv, investment club, Latin club, Madrigals, Music Honor Society, National Business Honor Society, National Honor Society, photography, SADD, Spanish club, United club, variety show, VESPA, WHSD 88.5, Worldwise Diversity club, Wounded Warriors and Yarning for a Cause.

According to board documents, the Hinsdale District 86 Board of Education approved targeted reductions including (amount listed is cost in savings): Administration pay freeze - $75,254; support staff pay freeze - $68,844; transportation cost cuts - $337,294; class size increase - $1,059,885; co-curricular - athletics - $789,047; co-curricular - activities - $405,293; admin staff reduction - $586,959; ESP staff reduction - $230,334; and music tutors - $130,169.

Board documents state that football at Hinsdale Central costs $129,705 with 179 athletes; and South football costs $145,817 with 101 athletes. Wrestling costs $62,692 at Central, with 67 athletes; and South wrestling costs $56,572 with 36 athletes.

The board approved the eliminations 6-1, which the sole 'no' vote coming from Kathleen Hirsman, who said she didn't want to focus on such major, popular sports programs.

Board members called the elimination an extremely painful process and something they didn't take lightly. Eliminations could last longer than a year, especially if a referendum doesn't pass in April.

The board voted to approve a $130 million referendum which will be on the April 2 ballot.

The most recent $166 million referendum failed in November. The bond issue would have been used to make buildings more accessible to the disabled and more secure for students and staff.

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