District 203 candidates take cautious approach to school day change proposal

Scheduling changes will be among the top issues Naperville Unit District 203 school board members tackle after the election.

The school board is considering a controversial plan that includes block scheduling at the high school, extending some class periods at the middle schools, and adjusting start and end times for students. The winners of the April 1 election will be voting on the proposed changes.

Two incumbents — Charles Cush and Amanda McMillen — are seeking reelection to the school board. Challengers Jillian Langer, Marc Willensky and Holly Jo Blastic also are seeking election to one of the four 4-year terms on the board.

Board members, who first heard the proposal in February, have delayed a vote, saying they want more information. They also pushed the proposed changes to the 2026-2027 school year rather than this fall.

The “Innovative School Day” proposal has faced strong opposition from teachers who have questioned how the changes would play out in the classroom and parents who have objected to the earlier start times for elementary students, longer class periods for high school students and the one hour difference in start times for elementary and middle school students.

District officials have said the changes will provide additional instructional time and support to help student achievement. Start time changes also will help reduce the number of students who arrive as much as an hour early due to bus schedules.

“I agree with the goals,” said Blastic, 44, who works as an attorney. “My pause comes with whether or not this is the best plan to meet those needs.”

Willensky, 61, echoed similar sentiments, saying he’d like answers on the cost of the changes to the district, additional information on how it would impact parents who may need before or after-school care for their students due to the changes, and how the district plans to prepare for implementation.

“I’d like to see us get to a point where we have a holistic plan and answers that can be shared with the community,” he said.

McMillen, a social worker, said she still has questions but appreciates the district’s efforts to address ongoing concerns.

“I am feeling much more comfortable and am leaning toward approving it,” McMillen, 46, said, adding she still needs more information before a vote.

While other candidates said they respect the district’s reputation for being innovative in education, more work is needed to earn their buy-in.

“Unless and until I hear from both our parents and our teachers that they are a ‘go’ for launch … I am planning to vote no,” Cush, a 54-year-old marketing consultant, said.

Langer also said she would not support the current proposal and wondered why district officials didn’t anticipate some of the objections raised by parents and teachers.

“It’s perplexing that we have come to this space where there are so many questions,” Langer, a 46-year-old business/project manager for a forensic engineering firm, said. “Why weren’t any of these things contemplated before?”

She suggested the district use an outside consultant to engage parents and teachers in further discussions about the plans.