District 203 administration amended their school day design proposal to push back the implemented changes to take effect in the 2026-27 school year, instead of the previously proposed 2025-26 school year.
After hearing feedback from various stakeholders including staff, parents and students in board meetings and written communication, the administration opted to amend their proposal and announce the change at the March 10 Board of Education meeting. The proposal seeks to change the internal school day design across all levels, including a shift at the high school level to a modified block schedule. It also looks to alter start and end time across all levels.
“We believe this shift will address many student staff and community concerns related to professional learning, obtaining child care and overall readiness for all stakeholders,” said Superintendent Dan Bridges at the March 10 meeting.
At the March 10 meeting, two parents and a staff member spoke in opposition to the changes. A further three were submitted via written comment. Many parents of elementary and junior high students have expressed concern over shifting childcare needs and the time and financial ramifications of such a modification.
“I won’t say that I’m not disappointed that our implementation is pushed out a year, but I am looking at the opportunities that the new timeline gives us,” said Naperville Central Principal Jackie Thornton.
In a survey by the Naperville Unit Education Association, over 73.5% of high school level staff responded “we need more paid unstructured time to individually prepare” to the question “In order for you to be fully comfortable with implementing a modified block schedule, which of the following are important for you?” The respondents included 69% of high school NUEA members.
Under the proposal, the elementary school day would shift to a 7:45 a.m. start and a 2:15 p.m. end time from its current 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. school day. At the junior high level, it would move the school day to 8:50 a.m. to 3:40 p.m., while the current school day lasts from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. And finally, at the high school level, the school day would shift from the current 7:45 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. school day to a 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. design.
“The implementation timeline was a piece of [the change[ but then there’s what we’re asking folks to actually do that’s the other part of it,” board member Charles Cush said at the March 10 meeting.
Some members of the board also voiced concerns about the proposed time changes at the meeting.
“My biggest concern continues to be around the starting time differentiation for the elementary and the middle schools,” board member Amanda McMillen said at the March 10 meeting. “You said that we won’t have unstructured time in the schools but it’s just going to move it to the homes.”
The earliest pickup time for a high school student’s bus route in the district is 6:10 a.m., over an hour and a half before school starts. After bus riders arrive at school, all experience some level of unstructured time before the school day starts. The proposal would seek to lessen this unstructured time to around 15 minutes at the high school level, according to a district presentation.
“[The busing] has been the biggest thing where we’ve had the most negative feedback about,” Bridges said. “Really, honestly, I think we’ve run about every option that we can.”
The district has opted to not pursue the purchase of more buses.
“One, buses are expensive,” Bridges said. “Two, we barely have our driver team filled now.”
Currently, House Bill 2951 in the Illinois House of Representatives is making its way through the legislative process, and would seek to prohibit a public high school from having a start time earlier than 8:45 a.m.
“It is never going to be perfect,” Board President Kristine Gericke said at the March 10 meeting. “No proposal is going to be perfect. Not every single person is going to like any proposal in any aspect.”
