Cold weather might be setting in, but Naperville School District 203 officials are thinking warm-weathered thoughts as the overall framework for next year’s summer school program is under the microscope.
Naperville 203 administrators and the board of education took a deep dive into the program’s future at a meeting Monday, Nov. 3. One particular issue — potentially raising the summer learning fees in 2026 — was hashed over during the wide-ranging discussion.
Proposed fee increases part of administrative recommendation
Kevin Wojtkiewicz, Naperville 203’s director of summer learning, provided the board with a presentation on next year’s summer school plans. His report included data on proposed tuition-related learning fees.
In general, Naperville 203 administrators proposed a 20% tuition fee increase, with limited exceptions. They noted the district has not increased summer school course fees since 2022.
“There are costs that we have, and those costs have been increasing, between the amount of compensation that our staff get, the cost for transportation, fuel for the transportation, and all of those things,” Superintendent Dan Bridges said.
He added, “This is an attempt to also recognize that we’re investing a lot of money into, I guess I would say, ‘a kind of a nice to have thing.’”
A number of board members pushed back on the fee increases, noting it could prompt some families not to pursue the option next summer. The district has waived tuition fees for families in the free and reduced lunch program.
Board member Marc Willensky was one of multiple elected officials who suggested a differentiated pricing model that would hold the line on increases on core academic subjects, but might be implemented for the enrichment-type offerings that have grown exponentially in recent years.
“I think there’s core programs that I think we should be delivering, and there’s enrichment, which maybe is not as necessary,” Willensky said. “The pricing model that we come up with should reflect that. … I think we need to look at the pricing model a little bit and how much we want to invest in these programs.”
Board member Amanda McMillen used herself as an example of someone who could be priced out of summer school if the full slate of increases is implemented.
“Not only is summer school going up, but everything in our lives is going up, except for our income, so that’s where if there’s a way that we can find the money to be able to keep the funding level and be able provide more support from the board level … I would feel more comfortable moving forward with this,” McMillen said.
During deliberations, board member Kristine Gericke suggested a lower fee increase that would apply to academic and enrichment courses alike.
“I’m a little torn because I don’t want to see programs suffer because they’re targeted.” Gericke said, noting she especially was concerned about the fate of music-related programs. “If the kids want to explore something, I don’t want to be the barrier to them exploring something.”
A look back at the 2025 summer school program
In terms of participation numbers this past summer, Wojtkiewicz noted student participation in general was strong, though some of the granular results were mixed.
“The number of students registered in the elementary programs continued a downward trend, while JH (junior high) and HS (high school) increased enrollments for the third consecutive year,” Wojtkiewicz wrote in a memo that was a part of the 2025 summer school report.
Some of the specific offerings, such as the district’s science camp, have continued an upward trajectory in participation. Wojtkiewicz said enrollment for this specific camp is up approximately 350 students since 2021.
Speaking to financials, Wojtkiewicz indicated Naperville 203’s costs for the summer learning program from this past summer were 5.6% higher than anticipated in the projected budget.
“A previous mindset had been that we just had to break even, so to speak,” Bridges said. “The board shifted to provide more opportunities and make an investment in summer learning.”
Planning in progress for 2026 summer learning courses
Bridges said it is imperative for Naperville 203 to begin planning for next year’s summer school programs so key tasks, such as purchasing curriculum, are done ahead of time.
Based on preliminary information shared at the recent board meeting, Wojtkiewicz said many of the core components of the 2025 summer learning program will carry over to 2026, based on the proposal presented.
Elementary and junior high course offerings will continue to meet for 23 days in June and the first half of July, while high school courses will be held in a 28-day timeframe.
Naperville 203 officials are proposing new courses in next year’s summer school curriculum. The list includes a junior high-level course, “Exploring Chicago and the Suburbs: Science, History, Nature, and Culture,” and the full-on addition of several science and music camp offerings that were piloted this past summer.
Bridges said the summer school proposal will return to the board for possible action at its next meeting Monday, Nov. 17. He indicated tweaks to the price increase threshold could be presented to the board for consideration, based on the feedback shared at the Nov. 3 meeting.
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