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Naperville CUSD 203 board continues review of Innovative School Experience, delays implementation to 2026–27
Summary
After extensive public comment and board questioning, Naperville CUSD 203 administrators said the district will use the extra year before implementation to expand community engagement, clarify transportation costs and develop before-school care options; no final policy vote was taken.
The Naperville CUSD 203 Board of Education spent the bulk of its March 24 meeting discussing the district’s proposed Innovative School Experience — a plan that would change daily schedules and school start and end times. Board members and administrators agreed to delay full implementation until the 2026–27 school year and to expand community engagement and planning before returning with a recommendation.
Why it matters: The schedule change would affect students, staff and families across the district and has implications for transportation, before- and after-school care, athletics and collective bargaining. Administrators said more time is needed to refine transportation options, professional learning and community supports.
Public commenters and staff urged more outreach. Kristen Kolkowski, a kindergarten teacher in Naperville 203, told the board that elementary teachers face the district’s highest instructional load and the least planned time. “The proposal for elementary would add an additional 15 minutes per day and 75 minutes of instructional time per week with no additional planned time during the school day,” Kolkowski said, adding that many elementary practices the plan calls “innovations” already exist in buildings. Julia Elamio, a parent with a doctorate in sociology, asked the board to “use the extra time to gather the necessary input, generate innovative ideas and come up with a proposal that has the support of the whole community.”
Administration outlined what it said were the key operational barriers and the work ahead. Officials told the board that addressing families’ early bus pickup times would require substantially more buses if the district kept current tiers, estimating roughly 60 full-size buses, 19 half-size buses and three wheelchair-accessible buses, at a preliminary procurement cost of about $12,500,000. Administration said additional parking and mechanics would also be required and that hiring drivers remains difficult.
To reduce the burden on families, the district described early-stage plans to contract with community providers for before-school care at middle schools. Administration said two community partners indicated they could start programs as early as 6:30 or 7:00 a.m., offer drop-in or punch-card options, and initially staff up to about 50 students per school. Preliminary monthly price examples cited by staff were $195 for a five-day plan and $153 for a three-day plan; a punch-card option of 20 visits was described at $240. Staff also said free or reduced-price families could qualify for discounts or waivers through partner programs.
Administrators discussed a possible “0-hour” option — additional before-school programming that could be free or low-cost to families, run by a community partner or staffed by district personnel receiving a stipend or schedule adjustment. Officials described the concept as early-stage and said details would be developed with partners and building leaders.
Board members pressed for more data and clearer cost estimates. Trustee Kristen Fitzgerald sought specifics on how many students currently arrive very early and how much additional transportation capacity would be required; administrators said they would provide more precise route counts and staffing implications in follow-up materials. Trustee Amanda McMillan asked how the district would engage families and staff; administrators described plans to use parent groups, focus-group style sessions and updated FAQs posted to BoardDocs.
Administrators said school discipline and attendance data factored into the proposal. District leaders reported roughly 4,600 year-to-date disciplinary referrals across both high schools, including about 1,600 tardy referrals (over 50% in the first hour) and about 1,400 truancy referrals. Officials said some high school students and parents told the district that early start times contribute to sleep and attendance challenges.
No formal vote on the Innovative School Experience occurred at the meeting. Administrators asked the board for clarity about information it still needed; the board requested additional transportation modeling, clearer cost breakdowns and plans for before-school care and athletics scheduling. Administration said it would post updated questions-and-answers, continue community engagement and return with more detailed plans ahead of the 2026–27 implementation target.
Looking ahead, administrators listed these near-term steps: update BoardDocs with board-submitted questions, convene family and staff listening sessions, complete transportation route modeling and work with community partners on contract proposals for before-school care.
Ending: The board did not adopt a schedule change at the March 24 meeting. Trustees emphasized the need for more time for community input, clearer financial and operational plans and expanded professional learning for staff before committing to implementation in 2026–27.
