A Level Playing Field? Hinsdale D-86 Cites Progress

HINSDALE, IL – A lot of progress has been made for equal opportunities in course selection at Hinsdale Central and South high schools, officials said last week.

At a school board meeting, District 86 Superintendent Tammy Prentiss called the recent creation of a proposed unified program of studies for both schools "fairly monumental."

She said she has heard discussions about the idea of such a move since she joined the district in 2014 as an assistant superintendent.

As it is, students at Hinsdale Central, which is based in wealthy Hinsdale, have many more courses available than their counterparts at South.

The proposed program of studies includes notations in certain cases where classes have yet to be aligned. For instance, South offers World Studies Honors, while Central has the similarly named World History Honors. Those classes are set to be aligned by the 2024-25 school year.

Last year, the district offered 87 courses unique to Hinsdale Central and 27 to South, according to the district. This year, those numbers are 30 unique to Central and 13 to South, the district says.

"The progress toward alignment is significant," Chris Covino, assistant superintendent of academics, told the board.

While the program of studies is being aligned, it's uncertain how many of the courses can actually be offered at a smaller school such as South.

Because Central is twice South's enrollment, Central has a greater ability to fill up more specialized classes.

While South may offer more courses under an aligned curriculum, some may be canceled because of insufficient enrollment. That has been a longtime frustration at South.

Central also finds courses with insufficient enrollment. But with more students, the likelihood of that happening is less.