Students, teachers, and parents have once again raised questions and concerns about the proposed Naperville School District 203 school day changes.
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, speakers commented on the proposed adjustments to start and end times, as well as the potential shift from traditional schedules to block schedules in middle and high schools.
“We want to be innovative. But we also want to be purposeful in its approach. We are not afraid of innovation or change, but innovation for innovation’s sake is not the best approach,” said Joe Nikkel, a teacher at Madison Junior High School.
What are the proposed Naperville School District 203 school day changes?
As part of the Innovative School Experience plan, Naperville School District 203 is looking to adjust school hours and transportation schedules to better align with student’s needs and the future of the workforce.
The proposed changes include:
- Elementary schools: Extending the school day by 15 minutes and starting 30 minutes earlier, at 7:45 a.m. instead of 8:15 a.m.
- Middle schools: Shifting both start and end times nearly an hour later, beginning at 8:50 a.m. and ending at 3:40 p.m., and introducing four days of a flexible modified block schedule with one anchor day.
- High schools: Moving the start time to 8:20 a.m., 35 minutes later than the current start time, while keeping the same 3:10 p.m. dismissal. The change would shorten the school day while transitioning to a block schedule four days a week, extending class time to 85 minutes, with one anchor day featuring 46-minute periods.
Administrators say these changes aim to be innovative while furthering social-emotional learning and college and career readiness.
They shared the Innovative School Experience report with the board of education at the Jan. 21 school board meeting. At the Feb. 3 meeting, nearly two dozen parents and teachers voiced concerns, leading the district to postpone its planned vote at the Feb. 18 meeting.
District 203 members continue to voice concerns about the changes
At the Feb. 18 board meeting, some students, teachers, and parents provided additional feedback on the proposed District 203 school day changes.
Naperville Central High School junior Gavin George said that surveys conducted by students at the school showed that “the vast majority of students opposed the implementation of the block schedule.” He added that students had no concerns about the current high school start time.
“If you were to ask students at Naperville Central High School what the primary problems with the district are, the answer would not be the buses or the schedule,” said George.
Jefferson Junior High School teacher and D203 parent Alisha Waters expressed concerns about how the schedule changes would affect her time as a mother, to a point where she might have to step down as a teacher.
“As a junior high teacher and an elementary mom, I would lose two and a half hours a day with my personal kids with this schedule change. I cannot fathom giving up that time with them. I love teaching seventh-grade science. I have a great group of kids this year, and the thought about not coming back next year makes me want to cry,” said Waters.
She also questioned if the need for additional teachers might affect the budget and resources.
“I wonder about the budget concerns regarding the additional teachers needed to implement block schedules. At Jefferson, we would need an additional seven math teachers. How will the hiring of so many staff impact the budget? How are we going to manage classroom space?” said Waters.
Community members want more research into the changes
Madison Junior High School teacher and parent of a Naperville Central student Catie O’Boyle urged the district to study how these changes would impact students with varying needs, including those with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), low-income families, and students in advanced placement courses.
She emphasized the need for concrete data before making a significant shift.
“It may be the history teacher in me, but if you’re going to do a radical change, I want to see the numbers. There has to be solid evidence to back up what we’re asking. Not opinion, not change just for change,” said O’Boyle.
Some students, like Naperville Central High School junior Ben Berkoff, suggested that improvements could be made without completely changing the schedule.
“Why completely overhaul the schedule when there are much simpler fixes? Forcing teachers to redesign their entire class structure, one that’s working already very well just isn’t necessary. We have a 50-minute lunch period, cut that down or make small adjustments elsewhere,” said Berkoff.
District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges responds to the feedback
Superintendent Dan Bridges thanked the speakers for their comments and reassured them that the board is listening.
“We are in the process of analyzing and reviewing all the feedback that we have received from various stakeholders. Then using those questions, that feedback, in order to update our timeline for recommendations,” said Bridges.
He also noted the district is updating its frequently asked questions section on its website to keep the community informed.
“We do remain committed to the work of our Innovative School Experience project and look forward to bringing any updated recommendations as soon as we can,” said Bridges.
The board will have an updated timeline and resume discussions on the topic at its next meeting on March 10.
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