Hinsdale D86 Official 'Completely Disgusted' About Lack Of Course

DARIEN, IL – Resident Farhan Khan says his daughter wanted to take biology as a freshman next year at Hinsdale South High School, but was told she could not because the course wasn't available.

The only science option for freshmen is physics, he said.

Officials later told his daughter she could take biology at Hinsdale Central. But that would require travel, knocking another class off her schedule.

At Thursday's Hinsdale High School District 86 board meeting, Khan alleged South was directing incoming freshmen toward physics.

This appears to conflict with a compromise reached by the Hinsdale High School District 86 board in 2021.

Two years before that, the board enacted a plan mandating physics for freshmen, chemistry for sophomores and biology for juniors. This was the practice for years at South, but the reverse of the traditional sequence at Central and much of the country.

Central parents objected, and the 2021 school board election revolved around the issue. Newly elected board members wanted to return to the traditional sequence at Central.

That fall, the two board factions agreed to offer both sequences at Central and South, acknowledging added costs. Biology courses for freshmen and juniors differ based on what they have learned in previous years.

At Thursday's meeting, board member Jeff Waters called for the board to discuss what he termed as "dissuasion" of students from taking certain classes, particularly in the science track.

He said board members have heard allegations at both South and Central about students being steered away from their desired courses.

Waters said he was "completely disgusted" that biology was not being offered to freshmen at South.

Board President Catherine Greenspon said the board could discuss the issue of dissuasion at its March 7 meeting. She encouraged families to email stories about their students being steered away from certain courses.

Waters said he worried that parents would fear retaliation if they stepped forward.

Greenspon urged the public to let the board know as soon as possible if there is even a hint of retaliation.

"The only way to serve our 4,000 students is to understand what is happening," she said.