Update, Aug. 4, 2020 /District 203 Board of Education put Tues., Sept. 1 , 2020, on the school calendar as its start date for eLearning.
District 203 Board of Education meets Monday, August 3, 2020
The Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education meets Monday, August 3, 2020. For the BOE documents, click here: go.boarddocs.com/il/naperville203/Board.nsf/vpublic?open
Please note, due to the extension of the Governor’s Executive order, this meeting will be a remotely-held meeting and will be live-streamed on the Naperville CUSD 203 website.
Any individual who would like to make a public comment can submit via email to Publiccomments@naperville203.org by 4PM on Mon., August 3, 2020.
Do you know the School District 203 Board of Education?
Residents of Naperville Community Unit School District 203 serve its Board of Education. Currently, Kristin Fitzgerald serves as president, Donna Wandke is vice president and other board members are Charles Cush, Kristine Gericke, Joseph Kozminski, Paul Leong and Janet Yang Rohr.
Find more about District 203 and its mission “to educate students to be self-directed learners, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers, and community contributors” at www.naperville203.org.
District 203 Superintendent’s Letter / July 31, 2020
Dear Naperville 203 Community:
Once again I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to you for your patience as we work to navigate these unprecedented times and plan for the Naperville 203 Return to Learn for the 2020-2021 school year. I would also like to thank the many students, staff, parents and community members who have contacted the District with your questions, comments, concerns, and appreciation for the work that has been done and for the difficult position we are forced to address. As you can imagine, each of us has our own unique situation and there are so many factors that must be considered that will have an impact on our students, staff, families, and the communities we serve.
Since March 13, 2020, when the decision was first made to suspend in-person instruction, Naperville 203 administrators and staff have worked collaboratively to identify the best ways to educate and support our students as we move forward. The Naperville 203 administration presented its initial Return to Learn plan to the Board of Education and community on July 13, 2020. At that time I advised the Board and community that this was a fluid process, subject to change based on guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and other local agencies. On Thursday, July 23, 2020 ISBE, with guidance from IDPH, released its Fall 2020 Learning Recommendations.
As the Naperville 203 team has unpacked and reviewed the most recent guidelines in relation to our plans, we have concluded that the Return to Learn plan we presented on July 13, 2020, needed to be modified based on updated guidance. After much deliberation, we have determined that in consideration of the most recent guidelines, the best way for Naperville 203 to support the health and safety of our students and staff, meet our and your high expectations for teaching and learning, to provide appropriate social experiences for our students, and to return to in person learning as soon as possible, we will begin the 2020-2021 school year with an eLearning model and will slowly transition into the hybrid learning model for those who are able and ready to return to in-person learning. I will again remind our community that this work will be ongoing and decisions are based on current guidelines. Any changes to guidelines could result in further changes to our plan. A summary of the updated plan can be found here.
This is an extremely difficult decision that was reached based on many considerations. Please recognize this might be welcome news for some of our families, but others will find this decision disappointing. Our primary goal continues to be to develop and implement a plan that can be flexible and responsive to the changing conditions of the pandemic and ultimately return to full in-person instruction. We all know that an exemplary school district is the result of a collaboration among students, staff, parents, and community. I am asking that we all commit and unite to make the 2020-2021 school year successful for all.
Due to the limitation of 50 people at an in-person meeting, restricting the number of community members able to comment publicly, the Board has determined a virtual meeting on August 3, 2020, would be the best format to allow all community members equal opportunity to have their comments received by the Board. The meeting live stream will start at 7:00 p.m. Any member of the public who would like to make a public comment, can submit via email to Publiccomments@naperville203.org by 4:00 p.m. on August 3, 2020.
I am confident that we will continue to provide the exemplary teaching, learning, and social experience for our students that our community demands, while providing a safe, healthy environment and transition for students and staff. I will continue updating you as this continues to evolve. In the meantime, I ask that you all help us get back to in person learning as soon as we can by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and maintaining a safe distance.
—Dan Bridges, Superintendent of Schools
Cross Reference! Both Naperville Community Unit School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 will begin the school year remotely on Aug. 20, 2020.
Alert! Unedited updates and posts below are no longer the plan… We keep them posted to demonstrate the ups and downs as well as confusion the ever-changing guidance and recommendations create. To keep current, always check the date/year of a post that might appear in an online search or on social media. Thanks for reading carefully.
Old news…
Updated Links: In preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, Naperville 203 administration created a Return to Learn Committee to review state and federal guidance and implementation strategies. On June 23 the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released requirements and recommendations for schools to resume in-person learning this fall. Focused on keeping students and staff safe, the guidance continues to evolve and was characterized by Supt. Dan Bridges as “fluid and ever changing.” The Naperville 203 plans are in coordination with ISBE, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Health Department. Click here to link to superintendent’s message of plan options released at the July 13, 2020, BOE meeting.
- Option 1 – Hybrid Model (click here for more info).
- Option 2 – Online Academy (click here for more info).
If Option 2 is the choice, a decision needs to be made by July 22, 2020, so D203 can plan for the school year appropriately. Choosing Online Academy is a commitment of a trimester (EC-8) or semester (HS) depending on level.
Updated Post, July 13, 2020 / This webpage is receiving extra attention this morning, so let us repost and add that at 7PM today, the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education is meeting virtually.
Click here for a link to provide access.
Due to the extension of the Governor’s Executive order, this meeting will be remotely held and will be live-streamed on the Naperville CUSD 203 website.
Here’s a link to the July 13, 2020, agenda.
A private session will begin at 6PM. Public comment is welcome during the open meeting. Individuals wishing to make a public comment, can submit their comment via email to Publiccomments@naperville203.org by 5PM on July 13, 2020. Note: Public comments submitted via email will be announced during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Original Post, June 23, 2020 / Superintendent addresses community with information regarding Illinois State Board of Education guidance for school transition plans. Target to release District 203 plan is July 13.
On June 23, 2020, the Illinois State Board of Education released guidance for schools on the 2020-21 school year.
This 60-page document has been much anticipated and will go a long way toward answering critical questions all of us share about what the 2020-21 school year will look like in terms of in-person learning, scheduling, transportation, wearing masks, social distancing and other measures intended to keep everyone safe and healthy, while also re-engaging students in the learning process.
Right now, we don’t have all the answers to those questions as this document was released to school districts at the same time it was released to the public. Therefore, we kindly ask for your patience as our staff thoroughly reviews this detailed guidance and implements the suggestions into our district’s own transition plan.
We are aware of the urgent need to communicate to families about what to expect next school year and anticipate releasing our own transition plan in the coming weeks. Our target for releasing our plan is our July 13, 2020, Board of Education meeting.
Our district formed transition teams in the late spring and has already been considering options. This guidance will accelerate those conversations, and I’m confident our district can put forth a plan that prioritizes the health and safety of our students while maintaining a dynamic learning environment. Thanks to those of you who also completed our survey. Your input will be helpful as we finalize our plan.
Thank you again for your patience, understanding, and flexibility as our entire district navigated a situation together that none of us could have imagined.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
Dan Bridges, Superintendent of Schools
Stet…
Administrative Center reopens
The Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Administrative Center, located at 203 West Hillside Road, reopened to the public on Monday, June 22, 2020.
For visitors needing to conduct essential business with the District, Naperville 203 officials ask that you make an appointment to ensure that the appropriate people are available and to support compliance with state mandated social distancing protocols.
How to Make an Appointment
Whenever possible, please conduct business with the District online (www.naperville203.org) or by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call (630) 420-6300.
Arriving at the Naperville 203 Administrative Center
Please enter at Door 1 and use the buzzer to alert the receptionist of your arrival. Depending on the number of individuals arriving, you may be asked to wait outside.
Social distancing guidelines will dictate the number of individuals in our waiting area.
Once inside the building, visitors are asked to wear face coverings, maintain social distance, and use available hand sanitizer stations.
Centralized Enrollment
The Centralized Enrollment Department will be open and temporarily moved to Naperville Central High School on June 22, 2020.
Note to enter Door 24 for new enrollments, updating residency and changes of address. Appointments are required for Centralized Enrollment. To schedule an appointment, call (630) 416-2834. Questions? Email mdvorak@naperville203.org.
Please continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home if you are having symptoms of illness.
Naperville Central High School is located at 440 Aurora Avenue.
