District 41 changes school calendar again

Amid concerns about the decrease in five-day school weeks, Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 has made a second change to its school calendar.

Two institute days on April 30 and May 1 have been rescheduled for the end of the year, after students already are home for the summer.

Back in December, two institute days were added to the calendar after teacher contract negotiations ended in November. At the time, Superintendent Ann Riebock said teachers weren't always able to make it to sessions when they were held outside regular school hours.

Several parents were unhappy with the original change because, they said, students were not getting enough consecutive full weeks in school.

Riebock said the school board shared those concerns.

"When we developed this current year's calendar, we really began to look more intensely at the issue of five-day weeks and how we might create greater continuity," Riebock said.

She said the number of five-day weeks has increased since 2007 and the new calendar for 2009-2010 increases that even more.

"It's something that's a shared interest between our community and our faculty," she said. "By moving a large chunk of our institute days to the front end and back end, we're able to preserve a few more five-day weeks."

The last day of school will continue to be June 11, barring any more emergency days.

Riebock said many parents are happy with the move that would give children more time in the classroom in the middle of the school year, but she said several also have been disappointed because they've scheduled vacation for the April 30 and May 1 dates.