Central CUSD 301 staff briefed the board on proposals to add one period to middle‑ and high‑school bell schedules aimed at meeting a forthcoming Illinois foreign‑language graduation requirement (effective with students who will graduate in 2032) and to expand exploratory and elective opportunities.

Presenters said the state requirement will take effect for the cohort that graduates in 2032 (the discussion identified 2028–29 as the school year when scheduling choices will affect that cohort). Staff described multiple scheduling models that would redistribute minutes among 7‑period and 6‑period day options and explained how altering period lengths affects instructional contact minutes for teachers and students. Current middle‑school configurations include 44‑minute and 66‑minute blocks; proposed models generally move toward seven 50‑minute periods (with advisory/homeroom adjustments) to add one instructional slot.

Staff estimated the personnel cost of adding one period across grades 6–12 in a range: for the middle school and high school combined the analysis produced a low estimate of about $903,980 and a high estimate about $1,412,410 — these figures reflect district calculations using a $66,000 per‑FTE multiplier and varied staffing scenarios (staff emphasized these are estimates based on current enrollment and section sizes and do not include subsequent space‑conversion or capital costs). The presentation also noted that adding a period could improve room utilization and create additional slots for electives, CTE sequences and exploratory courses; conversely, it could require hiring additional teachers, alter student start times, and place pressure on course sequencing for special‑education students and those needing interventions.

Board members raised multiple concerns: potential impact on ELA and math instructional minutes (currently delivered in longer blocks at some grades), the difficulty of hiring foreign‑language teachers given statewide shortages, transportation and food‑service logistics, classroom and lab space constraints, and the effect on CTE and fine‑arts offerings. Staff acknowledged the tradeoffs and said the proposals are preliminary; committees of teachers and administrators have been discussing models and will return with additional analysis and input from student and parent surveys.

Staff asked the board for direction and said the district would continue committee work, refine cost estimates, consult transportation and food‑service staff, and include results of student surveys and additional community engagement in future presentations.