'Aggressive Steps' Being Taken to Create Schedules for YMS Students

The first day of "back to school" normally entails a few hiccups for students and parents alike.

But Yorkville Middle School appears to be having more than a few complications. According to parents, students had gone to school Wednesday morning without an official schedule.

Yorkville 115 Superintendent Tim Shimp has addressed the issue in the below statement. 

"Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 has identified significant issues in our recently-distributed schedules for students at Yorkville Middle School. 

As the current senior administrative team learned of the scheduling concerns at Yorkville Middle School, the team directed the building administration to complete the scheduling in a timely and appropriate manner. 

After effort by building leadership and staff, the resulting schedule, in the opinion of the team and the Board of Education, did not adequately address the educational needs of students or the concerns of parents. We have taken the aggressive step of rebuilding a schedule that is more appropriate at this time.

The 2013-2014 school year began today as planned for all District 115 students. However, Yorkville Middle School students will have temporary schedules for the first few days of the school year as we work around the clock to rectify these issues. 

This decision was made as a result of the need to rebuild the master schedule based on the curriculum approach used during the 2012-2013 school year. Our continued goals are to ensure there are no further disruptions or changes to the communicated schedule, to balance class sizes and to successfully meet the needs of all students. Parents have been notified about this matter via voicemail and email messages.

As students arrived at YMS today, they were greeted by District 115 administrators and faculty. Throughout the day, students will meet in classrooms to review expectations and to become oriented with the procedures and culture of YMS. Students were engaged in meaningful transition activities throughout the day.

YMS students will receive their permanent schedules for the 2013-2014 school year on or before Monday morning, August 19th. 

These schedules will include the full range of academic course offerings, including advanced sections in Science, Social Studies, Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, we are excited about our new courses, including a full-year of Spanish and a Technology-based Inquiry class.

As the administration works through the process, I have taken on an active, onsite leadership role at YMS, and am available to talk with parents, students, faculty or community members who have questions or concerns. 

We regret any inconvenience or confusion this situation may cause, and are hard at work to develop a successful plan and process that will minimize disruption and anxiety for students, staff and parents.