Now that she has begun what should be the most challenging job of her career, Lori Wilcox can relax.
After more than seven months of essentially working for three different school boards, the new superintendent of Aptakisic-Tripp Elementary District 102 answers only to one.
“It’s nice to work for one district,” Wilcox said Monday while preparing for the first day of school.
Throughout the northern suburbs, educators are making final updates to classrooms as they prepare for a new school year. Along with a new leader at District 102 in Buffalo Grove, Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire also is one area school district making a major change this year.
On Aug. 15, Stevenson students start the school year earlier than ever before while their daily schedule for classes will begin later in the morning.
“It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for people,” Stevenson spokesman Jim Conrey said of the new starting points.
Stevenson this year opens a week an a half earlier than in years past.
The intent, Conrey said, is for students to compete their first-semester finals before the winter break, instead of having to study for major tests that await them when they come back in January.
“Kids will have a true two-week break where they’re just done with classes, and they can enjoy the two weeks with their families and friends,” he said.
But Stevenson students will arrive a half-an-hour later for the first day of classes and every school day after that. The first bell will sound at 8:30 a.m., instead of 8:05 a.m., Conrey said.
School board members decided almost a year ago to push back the high school start time to let studetns sleep longer — a move many area districts have contemplated recently.
To make it work, Stevenson shortened each class period from 50 to 47 minutes. But will teens, who know they can sleep later, still go to bed at that same time?
“It’s out of our control,” Conrey said. “We’re going to trust our parents to do the right thing.”
Barring numerous snow days, Stevenson should finish the year before Memorial Day, which would be for the first time in its history. Regardless of the weather, graduation is booked for May 26, the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s unfortunate that it falls that way, but that’s what we had to deal with the Sears Centre schedule,” Conrey said. “It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for people.”
At District 102, Wilcox also will have to adjust to her new role.
Before District 102 hired her in November to replace retiring Theresa Dunkin, Wilcox was the assistant superintendent for growth, talent and human relations for elementary District 67 and high school District 115 in Lake Forest.
And this past winter and spring, she added to her workload. Wilcox helped select new principals and assistants at three of Aptakisic-Tripp’s four buildings.
She also watched as Meridian Middle School and Aptakisic Junior High pushed start times back from 7:40 a.m. to 8 a.m. District 102 is scheduled to open its doors Aug. 17.
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Wilcox said she is happy to be settled into one desk in one building.
“It feels great,” she said. “Everyone is excited to get the new year started.”
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