Beginning for the 2022-2023 school year, DGS will be transitioning to a new schedule, featuring: two block period days, three “normal” school days and access periods for students. The change from eight periods a day, five days a week, has stemmed from the administration’s extensive research on how block days positively affect student’s education and mental wellbeing.

The schedule features two new block days (Wednesday and Thursday) and the rest of the days will continue as usual with eight periods.

With the building renovations finally complete, the district has decided to move forward with the hybrid schedule plans. The new spaces allow students to study during access periods.

Block days will only occupy Wednesdays and Thursdays. Kathleen Troyer, an environmental science teacher at DGS and DGN, believes the new schedule will be an opportunity for growth and new routines.

“I think I would’ve preferred a block schedule that was very consistent A day B day… to avoid some of the confusion. I’m not sure yet how I will make the schedule work, that’s something I’ll have to learn. Maybe it will be great, but just looking at it initially, I have more trepidation than anything else,” Troyer said.

The two days in the schedule will also feature 78 minute periods, which differ from the usual 50 minutes. This change will allow students to attend odd classes on Wednesdays and even classes on Thursdays.

Access periods are available on both days which provides students the opportunity to attend office hours and SEL/Mustang Way Lessons. The goal of these periods is to help relieve student anxiety and reduce the amount of class time lost to other things.

Junior JJ Kumkoski comments on the change that will occur during his senior year.

“I personally think that the new schedule is going to be destructive for our learning and I feel like it’s just gonna hurt the students and they won’t be able to learn as well as they did in the longer periods,” Kumkoski said.

As a part of the new schedule, District 99 will be moving to a later start time; class will begin at 8:20 a.m. instead of 8:00 a.m.. Administration has decided this is the best solution for students and their transportation agreements with First Student, the district’s bus company.

In response to the questions of Downers Grove parents and citizens they said: “The largest factor that impacts our start and end times is bus transportation. As we share buses with Districts 58 and 68, we then need to design schedules that work together with the other districts.”

The district has high hopes that the switch to a two-day block period will benefit the students’ mental and physical health. However, some seniors are glad to leave in time because of the confusion it may cause. Senior Jenny Fogarty adds to that statement with her own perspective.

“It makes things more chaotic; the schedule we have now works fine, and that’s what the underclassmen are used to. It just doesn’t seem efficient,” Fogarty said.

Administration will continue to adjust the schedule and procedures until class resumes in August.