Naperville District 203’s 2027-28 school year will begin Aug. 18 and end May 26, a week later than had originally been proposed by district administrators.
The alternative calendar was presented to the school board Tuesday — and approved unanimously — after member Holly Blastic raised issues at the board’s previous meeting.
She questioned why an Aug. 12 start date was chosen, noting it would disrupt families’ summer and vacation plans, and why school would end May 22 when that would make things difficult for those who rely on summer day camps and programs that begin in June because of day care needs.
With the adjustment, the last day of school will be the Friday before Memorial Day. Winter break has been moved to Dec. 24 to Jan. 7 and emergency days, if needed, would be May 30 to June 5.
Board member Kristine Gericke acknowledged that shifting the start of school ahead was a straightforward change, but she was concerned it could affect student attendance in December. With Thursday, Dec. 23, being the last day of school before winter break, some families might opt to start their vacations early so they have an extended break, she said.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said that could also be a concern for staff, especially those who live in neighboring districts and whose children have a break schedule that’s different from District 203’s.
The board will reevaluate the situation this summer, Bridges said, examining some of the parameters they use in setting the calendar and how much weight to give them when ultimately approving the school year.
One of the driving factors when setting the calendar is to ensure that high school students complete their final exams for the semester before leaving on winter break, he said.
The district also tries to start as late as possible in August while ensuring each semester is balanced with no more than eight attendance days difference between first and second, Bridges said. Having balanced semesters makes it more likely that students who take semester-long courses have the same experience no matter which semester they take the course.
Blastic said she looks forward to reviewing the parameters that will consider parents’ needs are being met.
Days off included in the 2027-28 calendar are Sept. 6 for Labor Day; Oct. 7-8 for parent-teacher conferences; Oct. 11 for Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Nov. 24-26 for Thanksgiving; Dec. 24-Jan. 7 for winter break; Jan. 17 for the Martin Luther King holiday; Feb. 21 for Presidents Day; March 3 for a county institute day; March 9-10 for parent-teacher conferences; and March 27-31 for spring break.
Election Day on March 21 will be an e-learning day. Graduation dates have not been set.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
