Glen Ellyn Dist. 41 hires firm to study full-day kindergarten spaces

Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 board members voted Monday to hire a firm that will study the possibility of building an early learning center and modifying the district's current schools so that the district could implement full-day kindergarten through either option.

The district currently offers residents half-day kindergarten, which lasts 2.5 hours per day.

Other neighboring school districts, such as Carol Stream District 93 and Lombard District 44, have already implemented full-day programs.

On Monday, the school board gave the green light to FGM Architects to study and develop conceptual plans for two space options that would allow the district to add a full-day program: the possible construction of an early learning center and modifications to existing District 41 schools.

The early learning center would sit on the site of the former Spalding school.

Cost estimates will also be brought back to the board as part of the deal.

FGM's compensation for the study will not exceed $10,000, according to board documents.

The district has been exploring the idea of full-day kindergarten for more than a year, according to board documents.

FGM Architects has already studied the possibility of constructing a new K-5 school for the district.

Superintendent Paul Gordon has said he supports full-day kindergarten, and some district community members agree with him.

A recent community survey on the subject received 642 responses, with 446 of them supporting implementing a full-day program in the district.

But elementary school principals have already told the board that placing a full-day program at their current facilities would be either impossible or have negative side-effects, such as increased class sizes.