Hinsdale Twp. HSD 86 HR committee reviews preliminary plan to cut 3.8 certified FTE; trustees press to protect counselors

The Hinsdale Township High School District 86 HR committee on March 3 reviewed a preliminary staffing recommendation that would reduce 3.8 certified full-time equivalents (FTE) for the 2026–27 school year amid modest enrollment declines and course-request shifts.

Administration told the committee the draft model shows a campus-level change of minus 2.0 FTE at Hinsdale Central, minus 1.6 FTE at Hinsdale South and minus 2.0 FTE at the Transition Center, producing the net negative 3.8 FTE in the certified staffing model. Staff said the recommendation is based on data pulled Feb. 9 from Infinite Campus and reviewed through the district’s A&O process and principal/department-chair meetings.

Why it matters: trustees said counseling and direct-student supports should be treated carefully. “We built it in the model to maintain our 12 and 6 counselors respectfully,” a district staff member said, explaining the administration’s intent to preserve counseling capacity while presenting options for other adjustments. Multiple committee members pushed back on any plan that would reduce school-counseling staffing, calling counselors a direct connection to students and asking administration to furnish dean and social-work ratios to contextualize any change.

Course and scheduling impacts: staff and trustees walked through course-request patterns that drive sectioning and FTE. Administration noted some declines are the product of section breaks rather than a sharp enrollment fall — small changes across several sections can compound to create seemingly larger FTE swings in particular departments. Trustees also discussed low-request and capstone courses under the district’s “below-15” framework, and transportation options to enable students to take low-enrollment electives housed on the opposite campus. Committee members raised shuttle service and master-schedule coordination as ways to offer orchestra or Latin across campuses without imposing parental transport burdens.

Public comment and staff detail: public commenter Kim Nesagro urged the district to be creative in increasing course enrollment and questioned how post-alignment department-chair allocations (described in the public comment as higher than prior 0.2 FTE stipends) affect classroom teaching time. Staff reported the Transition Center projection range (105–119) is based on IEP conversations and noted the offers are not yet firm, so final sectioning could shift as families confirm placements.

Next steps: trustees requested administration prepare alternative proposals and impact analyses before the board meeting on March 12, including (at minimum) a) an administration-by-building list, b) dean/social-work ratios, and c) the class-size column added to the 70%-fill slide. Administration said the presentation will be posted for public view and the memo will be updated for the board. The committee voted earlier in the meeting to approve the prior HR minutes and later adjourned into closed session to discuss personnel/negotiating matters as listed in the transcript.

The HR committee did not take a public vote to finalize staffing reductions; the draft model and proposed options will go to the board of education for further consideration on March 12.