Incoming Superintendent Chip Pettit wants District 86 to stop comparing Hinsdale Central and South head-to-head. The shift could reshape how South families argue for equal course access.
Pettit told the District 86 board on Thursday, June 25, that the two schools' demographic gaps make direct comparisons misleading. He cited Central's enrollment as nearly twice South's and noted that students from low-income families make up nearly a third of South's student body compared with 9 percent at Central.
"I'm not sure it's healthy to keep comparing the two schools to one another," Pettit said.
Pettit's official start date is Wednesday, July 1, though he has been present at board meetings since early June. He arrives alongside Assistant Superintendent Josh McMahon, who was approved at the April 30 board meeting at a salary of $216,000.
Instead of Central-South comparisons, Pettit proposed a "league of comparable schools" model in which each school would be measured against demographically similar institutions elsewhere. He highlighted the framework on the website of Duneland School Corporation in Chesterton, Indiana, the district he led for seven years before coming to Hinsdale. Duneland's 2024–28 strategic plan defines those leagues as groups of districts "comparable in demographics such as size, attainment, compensation, performance."
The proposal landed the same night the board heard that its Availability and Opportunities Committee could not accomplish its core task. Board member Bobby Fischer, who chaired the 16-month panel, recommended disbanding it after the committee could not reliably measure how often South students are denied courses available at Central.
"Unfortunately, even after this committee, we can't speak confidently about course denials," Fischer said. He estimated that fixing the district's data systems to track denials accurately could cost $200,000.
No vote was taken on Pettit's benchmarking proposal. Board President Catherine Greenspon directed Pettit and his team to develop recommendations on how to proceed.
Direct Central-South comparisons have been central to equity arguments at recent board meetings. At the April 30 meeting, audience members cited specific barriers South students face, including self-transportation requirements and lost instructional time for travel courses. The 2025 AP Honor Roll showed the gap in concrete numbers: 79 percent of Central seniors took at least one AP exam, versus 56 percent at South. Seventy-two percent of Central seniors scored a 3 or higher, versus 48 percent at South.
What remains unclear is what accountability looks like under the new framework. The board has not set a timeline for adopting comparable-school leagues, and no timeline for formal adoption has been announced.
Hinsdale government week ahead
The District 86 board has not publicly posted its next meeting date. The board requested a once-monthly schedule be finalized before July 1. Residents can check hinsdale86.org for updates and public comment procedures.
