Glen Ellyn school recommendations to be unveiled

Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 will host a public meeting Tuesday to discuss possible future improvements at Hadley Junior High School.

District staff members and residents who are part of the organizational improvement effort called Hadley New Horizons will explain recommendations for upgrades in numerous non-facility related categories, including exploratory, time and organization, respectful relationships and teaming effectiveness. The subjects have been in discussions for two years.

While some improvement options already have been discussed, specifics about the newest recommendations will be presented Tuesday night for the first time.

"We'll update the parents and the community on the status of each of those work groups," said Karen Carlson, assistant superintendent for teaching. "It's really about how we use time within the school day and giving kids more choice with exploratory."

Plans that are already out on the table include students being able to pick from a bundle of new classes, including household chemistry, CSI Hadley Forensics, a stock market course, a U.S. military course and Lego robotics course.

The school day also would be restructured within the current time bracket.

If the recommendations are approved by the district's board in coming months, changes would be implemented next school year.

"I think we've made some great recommendations," Carlson said. "The staff has been very involved, and I think they're getting excited about all of the changes. I think there's some great momentum going on and we'll put it all together."

District leaders also would create a timeline of implementation, and not everything would be changed at once.

"I think we'll be offering some great things for kids," Carlson said, "and some new learning opportunities."