Hinsdale D86 Warms To Attacking Disparity With New Service

HINSDALE, IL – For years, Hinsdale High School District 86 has offered students the opportunity to go to the other campus to take courses unavailable at their own.

But that is often seen as a bad choice. Students must find transportation, and they could miss parts of other classes while in transit.

But the school board is warming to the idea of providing a shuttle between the campuses.

At a meeting Thursday, member Bobby Fischer said students can leave before their lunch period ends and stay on the other campus the rest of the day. That way, he said, the student won't miss parts of other classes.

The issue is more relevant to Hinsdale South. Its enrollment is half that of the Central, which has a wealthier student body. Because of the school's lower enrollment, South students enjoy fewer course opportunities. For instance, South's orchestra program is going away.

Board members expressed interest in offering a shuttle, asking administrators to present a plan.

Member Liz Mitha, who lives in the South area, called herself an "unequivocal, unapologetic" shuttle supporter.

"It's a nice way to provide opportunities for students, but also to build camaraderie across the district," Mitha said. "It could potentially solve a lot of our challenges that we have seen on our smaller campus... Wouldn't it be lovely to have an orchestra that is an across-district orchestra?"

Some South residents have long suggested changing the attendance boundary to equalize enrollments. But all seven board members oppose that idea.

Central residents fear that their home prices would plunge if the line shifted to put them in the South zone.

Last fall, Burr Ridge resident Adolf Galinksi offered what he said was a solution to the orchestra problem: Let South-residing students who want to take orchestra courses attend Central full time.

The school board has not taken up that idea.