Special to the North Star
Crosstown classes are classes that are taken either at Naperville North High School or Naperville Central High School. Because they are only offered at one of these two locations, students from the other school are required to venture “across town” to take the class. Junior Will Blakesley can testify as a crosstown student, though his voyage to Central is not one that he remembers fondly.
One brutal incident of missing the bus led to him missing his class entirely that day. Having no way to transport himself, Blakesley pretended to be blended and, as a result of his unintentional absence, failed to complete his work.
Blakesley had no other opportunities to arrive at Central because crosstown students are prohibited from driving themselves to their rival school. He lives in constant fear of missing the bus again.
“If you miss the bus, it’s just over,” Blakesley said.
Due to their shortened instructional time and busing issues, crosstown courses swamp students with additional stress. Some courses are only offered at one of the two high schools, so the district allows students to bus to their rival school to take these classes. When North students must catch a 7:15 am bus to Central, they are unable to participate in morning clubs, further limiting accessibility to school activities for students who have after-school commitments.
As high school students begin course selection for the 2026-27 school year, it’s essential to understand the requirements for crosstown classes. This year, Multivariable Calculus, Blended Cyber Security, Honors Accounting and AP African American Studies are all at NCHS. German Four, AP Music Theory, Multivariable Calculus with Linear Algebra, and AP Chinese are only offered at NNHS.
NNHS German Four Teacher Jonathan Justice said he pivoted to blended learning on Wednesdays to counteract tardies from Central students. This differs from Blakesley’s Cybersecurity class, as he arrives ten minutes late on late-arrival days.
“We’re there for 15 minutes before we have to leave… It’s super annoying,” Blakesley said.
Mary Lazowski, NNHS Counselor, acknowledged the busing situation as an obstacle, but if students are captivated by the course, she said the commute won’t prevent them from enjoying it. This is evident through a recent North Star survey of 65 NNHS and NCHS students, which shows 51% of students are open to taking a crosstown class. Lazowski recommends crosstown courses based on a student’s interests and needs. Students like Katherine Li, an NNHS freshman, still show positivity for the opportunity to travel across town.
“We should be able to offer these [courses] at North, and if we don’t, the next best thing is to offer them at Central,” Li said.
North and Central also offer shared clubs. For example, Huskie Robotics consists of members from both schools. Students can take a bus to after-school clubs and activities at the opposing school. NCHS Sophomore and Robotics Member Edith Goddard said students from both schools work well together, although there are fewer Central students in the club.
“I think a lot more people would be inclined to do it if it was at [their home school],” Goddard said.
