District 214 seeks input on changing school calendar

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is thinking about changing its school calendar and start times, but it wants input from the community first.

An online survey launches on Tuesday asking for parents, staff and community members to share their opinions of five different calendar and school hour models, and the potential impacts those changes would have on families, after-school activities and athletics.

The calendar options include: traditional, which would mean no major changes to the current model; traditional, but with final exams before winter break; collegiate-style, with school starting in mid- to early August and ending in mid- to late May; year-round, or a continuous calendar with breaks throughout and shortened summer weeks; and balanced, which combines elements of the year-round calendar to provide additional breaks throughout the year while ensuring that school is not in session during July.

Significant changes would not take effect until the 2017-2018 school year.

All employees, parents, students and community members with a current email address on file will receive an invitation to complete the survey. The survey also can be accessed at www.d214.org/calendar.