Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Education
The District 204 board approved emergency structural repairs at Welch Elementary on Aug. 11, with construction crews starting work immediately and extending into the school year, while also greenlighting Title I schoolwide waivers for Brookdale, Gombert and McCarty Elementary.
Education
District 203 rolls out new digital learning guidelines for the 2026-27 school year that keep iPads and Chromebooks at school for grades K-2, limit home access for grades 3-5 to two days per week, and shift classroom technology use from passive consumption to active creation.
Education
Naperville Central High School eliminates its separate advisory homeroom starting Aug. 13, folding it into second period class for all 2,589 students, while expanding the SOAR Support program that administrators say has reduced D and F grades since 2022.
Education
Indian Prairie School District 204's board unanimously approved hiring a dedicated "school safety and security lead" at Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools, filling a post-dismissal safety gap identified by Superintendent John Price at a cost of $150,000 to $200,000 per year.
Education
Naperville high school students can apply for 24 seats on city boards and commissions or up to eight Mayor's Chief of Staff internships by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, with a Nov. 7 Leadership Academy kicking off both programs.
Education
The Naperville Police Department's back-to-school safety advisory urges families to walk routes before Thursday, Aug. 13, teaches kids the "Say NO, GO and TELL" rule, and reminds drivers that 20 mph school zones resume when District 203 and 204 classes begin.
Education
David and Jessica Geslak allege a District 203 elementary teacher growled at students, blew in a child's ear, put food in students' mouths and texted a video of a child on a Saturday night; Naperville police confirmed they are now involved, and about 40 parents showed up to the Aug. 3 board meeting to connect the allegations to their opposition to Superintendent Bridges' contract extension.
Education
The District 203 Board of Education voted Monday night to extend Superintendent Dan Bridges' contract through 2031, with board member Melissa Kelley Black casting the only publicly identified dissenting vote amid the district's first operating deficit in more than 50 years.
Education
Dr. Sara Jennings, a former Spanish teacher and assistant principal from DeKalb High School, takes over as Metea Valley's new principal with plans for a school-wide expectations matrix and stricter enforcement of the Bell-to-Bell No Cell phone policy ahead of the Aug. 17 first day.
Education
A new Illinois law signed Aug. 1 formalizes share tables in school cafeterias statewide, giving District 203 and District 204 schools an explicit, USDA-aligned way to meet food-sharing plan requirements starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Education
Naperville District 203 K-8 students scored in the top quintile at more than twice the national rate in both reading and math on year-end NWEA MAP Growth tests, with Superintendent Dan Bridges saying the data will shape school improvement plans presented to the board in September.
Education
North Central College earned a spot on Phi Theta Kappa's 2026 Transfer Honor Roll, a national recognition of its support for community college students transferring to four-year institutions, with scholarships up to $29,000 annually and a Fast Track admission program for Illinois students.
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