Hinsdale Central seniors revisit Oak School in annual tradition
Graduates from Hinsdale Central High School returned to Oak School on May 29, marking a community tradition that celebrates the connection between past and present students. The event took place as the academic year ended, with alumni walking through familiar hallways and reflecting on their early school experiences.
As the seniors entered Oak School, there was a noticeable contrast in height between them and current students, but a shared sense of community remained. Many recalled memories of cubbies, playground games, and teachers who inspired their initial interest in learning. Laughter filled the corridors as they visited former classrooms and reminisced about earlier projects and activities.
The visit provided an opportunity for alumni to reflect on their personal growth since attending Oak School. While acknowledging their roots, many Hinsdale Central seniors wore shirts representing colleges or institutions they plan to attend in the fall, symbolizing their transition to new educational paths.
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 represents DuPage and Cook counties and includes several schools such as Clarendon Hills Middle School, Elm Elementary School, Hinsdale Middle School, Madison Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Oak Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School, The Lane Elementary School, and Walker School, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The district enrolled 3,743 students during the 2019-2020 school year and serves grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 2020 it spent $31,308 per student for a total expenditure of $117 million.
The district's teaching staff consists of 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; ninety percent are women while ten percent are men. No teacher had more than ten absences in a school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. Four students were classified as chronically truant during that period—a rate significantly below the statewide average.