District 203 OKs next year's school calendar

With a slight change to parent-teacher conferences, the Naperville Unit District 203 school board approved next year's school calendar Tuesday.

However, several board members expressed concern that the school year is starting too early.

To allow the district to finish first semester before winter break, classes will begin Aug. 19 under the new calendar.

Columbus Day will be resuming holiday status next fall after two years of it being a regular school day. Students will have an extra long weekend because conferences will then be the following two days -- Oct. 14 and 15.

Originally the district scheduled conferences for Oct. 9 and 10 but moved them because they fell on Yom Kippur.

As they have the past few years, high school students will take exams in December and finish the semester before winter break, which will run from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.

A 2005 survey found that 70 percent of students favor this arrangement over taking finals in January.

Under the new calendar, second semester begins Jan. 5, 2009 with spring break from March 30 to April 3. High school graduation is set for May 20 followed by classes ending May 29.

The board voted 5-2 in favor of the calendar with board members Susan Crotty and Mike Jaensch making the dissenting votes.

Crotty said she is concerned about impinging on summer by starting Aug. 19. The early start date also means classes end for the year earlier than neighboring Indian Prairie Unit District 204.

"It puts parents in a lurch leaving a gap of childcare before other local (summer) programs start, because (District) 204 is not out," she said.

Jaensch shared Crotty's sentiments about school starting too early but said he also does not like that first semester is shorter than second semester. However, his biggest concern is that several of the 177 total teaching days agreed to in the district's contract with teachers are actually parent-teacher conference days.

"I always felt we have to abide by the contract if we can," he said. "We can't pick and choose which areas of a contract we are going to follow when you feel like it. I don't like the idea we've done it this way for several years, therefore it's precedent, so we just keep doing it."