Board to Explore Longer School Day, All-Day Kindergarten

The board has approved its long-term strategic plan, which sets the direction the district wants to head in the next five years.

is the result of about nine months' worth of work, with input from district administration, staff, parents, students, community members and the board of education. by more than 3,000 district residents and intense workshops organized by each of the district’s four “houses” helped the administration learn what is important to the residents when shaping guidance for the future.

The school board approved the plan at a special board meeting Monday with four new additions since it was last put forth to the public.

One of the new ideas includes exploring the possibility of increasing the current seven-period high school day to eight periods, district spokesman Tom Hernandez said. The district will investigate this idea, including whether or not to add more time to the school day or reorganize the current time that students are in school.

Because so many high school courses are mandated, an extra period could give students more flexibility when choosing electives or advanced placement courses, Hernandez said. It’s an opportunity for students who want to take additional classes, he said.

Another new idea to the five-year plan is investigating whether the district can add an all-day kindergarten program. The district would have to look at its current building space to see if all-day kindergarten could be added.

Board members also are interested in trying to recruit District 202 graduates to return after college to become District 202 teachers, Hernandez said.

Finally, the school board has included an ongoing facilities utilization review to the five-year plan, which would ensure that all buildings are using their academic space effectively.

With the long-range document in place, the district administration will begin laying out the next five years and what ideas will be implemented each year.

The ideas within the five-year plan will become more focused, and the board of education has a final say over what is implemented.

The district has four main goals and each of the main goals has several programs, initiatives and priorities to help achieve them.

The main goals include:

1. Our learning community will be a place where each individual can achieve their maximum individual potential.
2. Optimal learning cultures, climates and facilities will be developed and maintained.
3. Communication strategies will create a climate of inclusion, trust and shared responsibility.
4. Resources will be developed and optimized to fulfill the vision, mission and goals of the district.

Other ideas within the five-year plan include increasing technology, expanding the district’s Web pages and Parent Web Module feature, having more character education within the classrooms, creating a positive sportsmanship code of conduct, researching more business partnerships and seeking alternative funding sources, including getting corporate sponsors for its stadiums, fieldhouses and gymnasiums.

The district is also working on continuing to align its curriculum to the federally issued national learning goals.

To read the five-year plan, visit http://www.psd202.org/.