Just a day after voters approved a $140 million bond referendum, an Illinois high school district voted unanimously to reinstate sports that were previously cut from the budget.
Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South (Ill.) high schools will be competing in football, swimming, water polo, wrestling and cheerleading after all, according to the Chicago Tribune. Those sports had been on the chopping block following the November failure of a $166 million referendum.
The result of the spring referendum is undoubtedly a positive for the student-athletes and their coaches, who were dealing with much uncertainty during the offseason.
With the future of the programs in limbo, both schools dealt with unique challenges — from scheduling challenges, to being unable to make purchases, to dealing with the mental hurdles caused by uncertainty. Hinsdale Central will have to hire a replacement football coach quickly after its former coach departed for a rival school in March.
With the sports officially back on the docket, the race is on to get them back into midseason form.
Scheduling for all of the reinstated programs is already underway, and coaches are getting back to normal as well. Jason Hayes, Central’s wrestling coach, is beginning preparation for his summer wrestling camps, which he was unable to do before the latest referendum result.
“There is excitement and relief that everything is back,” Hinsdale Central AD Dan Jones told the Tribune. “It’s been emotional for everybody who was a part of (the programs) or who wants to be a part.”
