November 14, 2024
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Yorkville students to see slightly longer school year after lapse in e-learning certification

By David Petesch
Ten-year-old Liam Cannon and his 7-year-old sister Kenzie create a snowman family in their front yard during a major snowstorm in Yorkville on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Ten-year-old Liam Cannon and his 7-year-old sister Kenzie create a snowman family in their front yard during a major snowstorm in Yorkville on Tuesday, Jan. 9. (Steven Buyansky for Shaw Local/Steven Buyansky for Shaw Media)

Students in Yorkville School District 115 will have an extra week of classes this semester and three more days added to the spring semester after the district failed to renew its e-learning plan with the Illinois State Board of Education.

Schools were closed because of weather on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 12, with the intention of students and teachers switching to e-learning. However, the district’s e-learning plan approval with the state expired Dec. 12, and Yorkville schools were not allowed to implement the plan.

Y115 students also had Tuesday Jan. 16, off because of sub-zero temperatures. They will now have to make up the three emergency days next semester.

The district issued a news release on Jan. 14 notifying families of the mistake.

E-learning plans are approved for three-year terms, following a process that includes a public hearing, stakeholder notifications, Board of Education approval and verification by the local regional office of education. The district’s last e-learning plan was last approved on Dec. 12, 2020.

The district has tentatively scheduled a public hearing for a resolution to renew its e-learning plan at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at 800 Game Farm Road. If the new plan is approved, the district will be able to implement e-learning for subsequent school closures throughout the rest of this school year.

Because of the missed school days, the district will push the first semester end date back one week, from Jan. 19 to Jan. 26. Report cards now will be released the week of Feb. 5

Y115 Director of Communications Brent Edwards said the additional week this semester is to provide students and teachers more time to finish projects and additional support to finish the semester strong. The total number of attendance days in the school year will not change, but the final day of school will be pushed from June 4 to June 7.

Make-up days from the recent school closures are intended to be added on to the 3rd and 4th quarter, pushing the summer release date back at least three days. The calendar will be revised to reflect these changes and posted to the district website.

“We genuinely apologize for any stress and other effects this situation has imposed on our district’s staff and families,” according to the release. “We are grateful for the dedication and efforts of our staff and school leaders and are committed to moving forward in a positive direction.”

District 115 will continue to monitor weather conditions, and if the weather does not allow for schools to open, the district will continue to use emergency days until an approved e-learning plan is on file with the Illinois State Board of Education, according to the release.

Edwards said the lapse in e-learning certification was an oversight by administration. He said the district learned of the lapse after the school day on Jan. 11, and therefore was unable to implement a day of e-learning as intended on Jan. 12. He said Jan. 9 was never intended to be an e-learning day.

Upon approval of the new e-learning plan, possibly on Jan. 29, the district will send the new plan to the Grundy-Kendall Regional Office of Education that will review the plan before sending it to ISBE for final approval.