Elgin U-46 to extend elementary school day next year

Elgin Area School District U-46 elementary school students will get more classroom time in the 2025-26 school year.

Starting with the first day of school Aug. 11, elementary school days will be extended by 20 minutes, district officials said.

Among the reasons for the change is U-46 has the shortest elementary school day among schools in the state — currently at six hours.

“Extending the elementary school day by 20 minutes will allow us to offer increased high-quality instruction and improve student learning — providing an additional 100 minutes of instruction per week and approximately 60 hours per school year,” Lela Majstorovic, U-46 deputy superintendent of instruction, wrote in a letter to families.

The change will result in the following shifts:

• Elementary schools that now start at 8 a.m. and dismiss at 2 p.m. will instead start at 7:50 a.m. and dismiss at 2:10 p.m.

• Elementary schools that now start at 8:30 a.m. and dismiss at 2:30 p.m. will instead start at 8:20 a.m. and dismiss at 2:40 p.m.

The school day extension also will require changes to bus schedules. Morning pickup times will be earlier and afternoon drop-off times will be later. Exact schedules for each student eligible for transportation services will be available in Infinite Campus in August before the first day of school.

Students who walk to school or rely on their own transportation or a carpool will need to make adjustments as well.

“We know that any change in our school day or school calendar impacts our families and the greater community, which is why we’re sharing this news more than six months before the new schedules go into effect,” Majstorovic wrote.

Schools will share more details directly with families over the coming months. For more information, visit the district’s Frequently Asked Questions page or offer feedback and ask questions via Let’s Talk.