D203 leadership outlined a revamped school day proposal that would, if approved, move middle schools and high schools to a block schedule. The presentation titled “Innovative School Experience BOE Update: Part 1,” occurred at a board meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said Tuesday’s presentation was only one of at least two, the next being delivered on Feb. 3, 2025. No vote is scheduled for that February meeting.
The Deputy Superintendent of High Schools, Dr. Mark Cohen, explained key aspects of block scheduling for high school students. Students would start school at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m., according to Superintendent Dan Bridges. This schedule would include four block days and one anchor day. Block days would include four 85-minute periods and a 52-minute lunch. On Wednesdays (anchor days), students would have all courses for 46 minutes each. This proposed schedule allows for WIN/SOAR/INTERVENTION periods twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Leadership said that this would allow time for students to build stronger relationships with their teachers. Other major impacts of the proposal would include upperclassmen retaining their off-campus lunch privileges, reducing the school day from 7 hours and 25 minutes to 6 hours and 50 minutes, and rearranging bus schedules to decrease transportation time.
Deputy Superintendent of High Schools Cohen listed several positive impacts of the proposed schedule.
“The adjustment allows students to get more sleep while giving faculty time to meet before school without needing a special schedule. Truly a win-win for both students and staff,” Cohen said.
Despite the positive aspects that the district listed, many concerns were brought up regarding the implementation of block scheduling. Prior to the presentation, Naperville Central junior Ben Berkoff expressed a number of apprehensions regarding the impacts on AP or fast-paced classes.
Berkoff explained that classes that move at a faster pace tend to have about “30-40% of the studying and work done outside of the classroom.” In these situations, doubling the amount of work done inside the classroom will, in turn, increase the studying needed to be done outside of it.
Berkoff was skeptical that longer periods would increase the time for students to ask questions.
“[This practice will] deprive students of being able to ask questions to their teachers and [force them] to teach themselves which has proven to be a very inefficient way of learning,” Berkoff voiced.
Board Member Melissa Kelley Black encouraged leadership to truly consider the feedback from staff, parents, and students.
After the lengthy Q&A session, D203 Board President Kristine Gericke commended the Board and their efforts to appeal to student and staff opinion.
“We listen and we try to do our best to follow what our staff and students are telling us. We follow the tradition of going out and doing research. We take what we know from our district, we learn from others, and then we try to make it our own to serve our students. I’m always so impressed with that,” Gericke said.
