A Special Exception For Hinsdale D86 Bands? Leader Has 'Misgivings'

DARIEN, IL – The superintendent for Hinsdale High School District 86 last week expressed "misgivings" about giving an exception to marching band students.

Recently, students and parents blamed a drop in marching band participation on a 2021 decision to bar band students from using the gym class exemption for a full year.

Now, band students are allowed to use the exception during football season. This means they don't have to take a physical education class during that time. Other sports can also get out of taking gym during their seasons.

Some school board members seem open to allowing the exemption for a semester or a full year.

A month ago, the matter came to a head as the district considered making Grace Adduci, Hinsdale Central's assistant director of bands, who started in 2022, part-time. That is attributed to falling participation.

At Thursday's school board meeting, member Jeff Waters asked why the district was not considering extending the exception to a full year.

Superintendent Michael Lach voiced a "bunch of misgivings" with a semester or a full year.

"I worry about treating marching band as a semester when we treat other sports just as a season," he said.

He also said he feared making school all about putting points on a transcript and tallying up courses, particularly given mental health challenges.

"I think PE matters," Lach said.

He said students can pick up a variety of athletic activities that would allow them to be physically active for their entire lives.

Lack also said gym classes are a good place for students from different backgrounds to interact and play sports, learn to dance and lift weights, among other things.

"I think that's a powerful place for kids to get to know other students," he said.

He said the district needed to investigate what problem it was trying to solve.

Board member Heather Kartsounes supported increasing the band exemption to a semester.

"It just seems a little confusing to do it for part of a semester and then have students join a gym class mid-semester after other students were in it for a little while," she said. "It just seems disruptive for a schedule."

The board is expected to take action at a later meeting.