Chicago Public Schools seeks feedback on proposed 2023-24 calendar

Chicago Public Schools is proposing a 2023-24 calendar that’s very similar to this year’s, with an earlier start, a full week off for Thanksgiving, and a start to summer break in early June. 

District officials are giving families a week to weigh in, with a public comment period closing next Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. They can use this Google form to submit feedback. 

The calendar will go to the school board for approval at its Feb. 22 meeting. 

During the pandemic, the district gradually shifted to an earlier start to the school year — a move that leaders say aligns the calendar more closely to suburban schools and local colleges, and gives students more time to prepare for key tests, such as AP and IB exams. 

The changes also allow students to participate in more summer camps, jobs, and other opportunities, officials have said. 

The proposed calendar includes 176 days of student instruction and 12 professional development days for teachers and staff. The professional learning date for the first quarter would move to Oct. 26, the day before report card pickup. Both elementary and high schools would host a parent-teacher conference day Oct. 27. 

Students once again would get two weeks of winter break and one week of spring break, this time in late March. They would also get a day off for Veterans Day again. This year, the district did not observe Veteran’s Day, but there was no school on Election Day.  

Last year, the district asked parents to vote on whether they wanted an Aug. 22 or Aug. 29 start. A slim majority of parents voted for the later start, but the district chose to opt for the earlier start date, saying that a majority of administrators, teachers, and students had voted for it.

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.