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A shift to full-day kindergarten has proven tricky for class scheduling at local grade schools.
Batavia elementary schools have moved to a four-day specials rotation that gives students fewer PE classes than the three-times-a-week minimum set by Illinois law. The school board is now asking the state for permission to make that permanent, voting last week to submit a waiver request to the Illinois State Board of Education seeking a five-year exemption from the requirement.
Here's what to know:
The scheduling issue: During the recent school board meeting, officials said full-day kindergarten required changes to "specials" time scheduling (rotating blocks for PE, art, music, and LRC), pushing the district from three specials to four. District officials say that with four specials in the rotation, it isn't possible to fit any one subject into the week three times.
The rationale: A district memo says fitting PE in three days a week any other way would require cutting other specials blocks to under 27 minutes, which is too small a window for things like pottery projects or full music ensemble practices.
Some of the constraints: According to the memo, the district faces staffing and gym space challenges that limit its ability to expand PE classes. Additionally, the current schedule includes 25 extra minutes of recess time per week beyond what the state requires.
Several community members spoke during the public hearing, including criticism about a lack of transparency around the scheduling change and comments that the full-day kindergarten rollout was rushed.
The district's memo indicates that it’s purely a scheduling constraint and not a reflection of its commitment to PE, saying officials will continue to evaluate the schedule.
Watch the full public hearing and meeting recording.
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