Hinsdale South student-athletes who want to play lacrosse have no path to the field, even as Hinsdale Central competes in IHSA postseason play with both a boys and a girls program.

FOIA-obtained emails published Thursday, July 23, by Patch reporter David Giuliani show that even then-Superintendent Michael Lach questioned the gap after a South parent raised the issue in December 2024.

The parent, whose name was redacted from public records, emailed Lach on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, after learning her daughter could not play for Central because no IHSA-approved cooperative agreement exists between the two District 86 schools for lacrosse. She wrote that the situation appeared to discriminate against athletes within the same district, denying them equal opportunities.

"As a taxpayer and a parent, it is disheartening to see my child deprived of the chance to participate in high school sports due to the lack of an approved co-op," the parent wrote.

Lach, who had started as superintendent only months earlier, forwarded the concern to district officials that same day. He asked whether the district could allow the girl to practice at Central, writing: "I'm not sure how this sort of thing works. Is there a way to make this happen?"

Hinsdale Central Principal Bill Walsh responded that IHSA bylaws govern the matter and requested a face-to-face meeting rather than continuing by email. A Zoom call was arranged with both schools' principals and athletic directors. The emails do not specify which IHSA provision blocks the arrangement, and the district did not elaborate publicly.

By Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, South Athletic Director Art Ostrow emailed Lach saying he had a "good conversation" with the parent and that she understood why a co-op could not be established.

The IHSA sanctions both boys and girls lacrosse and governs cooperative team agreements under Bylaw 2.030. A separate complication emerged in December 2025, when IHSA member schools voted to bar co-ops with a combined enrollment of 3,500 or more students from state series competition starting in the 2026-27 school year. District 86's two high schools would likely exceed that cap, though exact current enrollment figures have not been confirmed.

Central's lacrosse pipeline starts early. The Hinsdale Herd, a community youth program run in partnership with East Ave Lacrosse, the Village of Hinsdale, and The Community House, holds sessions for grades K-8 at Hinsdale Central. No equivalent feeder program exists on the South side of the district.

New District 86 Superintendent Chip Pettit, asked by Patch about the lacrosse disparity, said he could not speak specifically about lacrosse at South as he was still learning about program offerings. He added that the district will "always look to implement and support new programs that align with student interest."

No plans to add lacrosse at Hinsdale South or to pursue a co-op with Central are on the district's calendar.