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Parent urges broader community engagement on Innovative School Experience; administration plans recommendation for April 21
Summary
A parent urged the board and administration to pause and pursue more community engagement before acting on the Innovative School Experience (ISE). Administration said it will return on April 21 with a recommendation; several board members raised concerns about timeline and staff and community buy-in.
Dan Elamio, who identified himself as a parent of a current and a future Naperville CUSD 203 student, used the public-comment period at the April 7, 2025, board meeting to urge greater community engagement before the board moves on the district’s Innovative School Experience (ISE) proposal.
"You cannot solve inequity with more inequity," Elamio said, urging the administration to convene stakeholder panels, solicit broader input and be transparent about potential schedule impacts — citing concerns raised about proposed later middle-school start times and the possible use of 0‑hour programs that could exclude students who rely on district busing. Elamio said dozens of parents, teachers and students share his concerns and asked the administration to slow the timeline to ensure broader participation.
During the business portion of the meeting, district administration told the board that the ISE team has continued to post materials and FAQs and that staff intends to return to the board at the April 21 meeting with a recommendation for board consideration "that would direct the administration in its next steps," including engagement opportunities and a proposed timeline. Administration noted prior materials on BoardDocs dating back to January and emphasized ongoing updates to board questions and public FAQs.
Several board members said they heard similar concerns from families and staff and pressed the administration on the schedule and readiness for an April 21 action item. One board member said she was "very concerned" that the community and staff were not ready and asked why the district was advancing a timeline while questions remained. Administration said the April 21 item would be a recommendation for the board to consider and that staff would include engagement plans and impact analysis.
No formal action was taken on ISE on April 7; the administration plans to bring a written recommendation back for the board's April 21 meeting.
