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District 58 keeps 2026–27 calendar, opens study on 2027–28 Thanksgiving-week change
Summary
Board leaders decided not to alter the already-published 2026–27 calendar but asked administration to study community impacts and options for 2027–28 after neighboring District 99 announced a Thanksgiving-week schedule change.
The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education on March 9 discussed possible shifts to the academic calendar after neighboring District 99 announced it will not hold student attendance during the week of Thanksgiving next year. Board members said they will keep the published 2026–27 calendar in place but asked administration to gather community feedback and model options for 2027–28.
Assistant administrator Sissel told the board the staffing plan tied to the district's move of sixth grade to middle school remains "FTE-neutral," meaning some allocations are shifting from elementary to middle school. He said that, if the district maintains FTE neutrality, "there will be 4 buildings right now if we maintain that FTE neutrality that will not have a 5 day a week social worker," and outlined how resource and intervention positions might be redistributed.
Why it matters: the calendar change could affect families with children in multiple feeder districts and has implications for staffing, student attendance and the length of summer break. Sissel said District 99 will not have student attendance the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week next year, leaving District 58 as one of the few feeder districts with students in attendance on those days.
Board members stressed the importance of timing and community input. One member urged the board to "leave 26, 27 alone, and let's work out 27-28," noting families may already have plans around the published dates. Sissel recommended a targeted outreach effort and scenario modeling before any change.
What's next: The administration will prepare modeled calendar options and community outreach materials for board review; any formal change for 2027–28 would come back for board consideration in spring/summer, with a recommendation expected as part of the multi-month committee process described at the meeting.
