Don't Cut Central Freshmen From Sports: Official

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale Central High School cut hundreds of students from sports last year, a number that should go to zero, particularly for freshmen, an official said Thursday.

Bobby Fischer, a member of the Hinsdale High School District 86 board, said such a move would be a way to reduce the number of students who don't feel they are connected to the school.

Fischer was reacting to a presentation from Central's principal, Bill Walsh. The principal said 98 percent of students surveyed have friends at the school. At the same time, 89 percent have a trusted adult on campus, which works out to about 235 students, the principal said.

"There's a big difference there," Walsh said. "We will continue to develop strategies and programs to help build opportunities for students to build connections and to have a positive experience at Hinsdale Central High School."

He said counselors, case managers and others checked in with the 11 percent of students who felt they did not have a trusted adult on campus.

In response, Fischer focused on cuts in sports and activities as likely causing many of the 235 students to feel a lack of connection to the school's adults.

"A way to address that is to make sure our sports and activities are inclusive, especially freshman year," he said.

The principal said Fischer was "100 percent right."

"I think we try our best to really, really limit the cutting of freshmen. Sometimes, it's space capacity, so we don't have any options," Walsh said.

Fischer said he would like to see fewer students cut this year and none next year.