Back to School 2026-2027

Teachers and staff in the early childhood program are excited to welcome our youngest learners to the new school year! Monday, August 17, 2026, is Get Ready for School Day for all early childhood preschool families. This special first day is designed to help children feel comfortable, confident, and excited about starting preschool.

During their scheduled time, preschool students and one parent or guardian will attend school, meet their teacher, explore the classroom, experience parts of the daily preschool routine, learn important arrival and dismissal procedures, and receive essential materials and information for the school year.

This parent-child attendance day is an important part of a successful transition to preschool. Families should refer to their scheduled arrival time and additional information provided by the early childhood program.

Beginning Tuesday, August 18, 2026, all preschool students will attend their regular school schedule.

We look forward to welcoming our preschool families and beginning a wonderful school year together!

Access the 2026–2027 school supply lists to get everything your student needs for the upcoming year.

Online registration for new and returning students for the 2026-27 school is still open. Whether you are starting another year with us or are enrolling your child with Indian Prairie School District for the first time, please complete the online student registration process.

If you have questions regarding the registration process, please contact your child’s school. If you have technical questions about how to complete your family's online registration, we invite you to reach out to our Student Information System support team by email at sis@ipsd.org. Please include your name, phone number, student name, student ID number, school, grade level and a brief description of the problem you are experiencing.

Transportation information will be available in StudentVUE and ParentVUE beginning Friday, August 14 at 7 PM. Please know that the start of each school year brings with it the potential for some overcrowding on buses. During the first few weeks of school, especially on high school bus routes, rider counts fluctuate as students explore their various methods of transportation. We ask for your patience as bus drivers and school administrators take daily head counts of high-volume routes and adjustments are made to route assignments. Please allow at least 10 minutes for a late bus before calling your school. It is recommended to please check ParentVUE every Friday after 7:00 PM for any bus route updates.

For more information on transportation, please visit the IPSD Transportation Page. If you have further questions regarding transportation, please contact your school.

STUDENT ID: It's recommended that your child has his or her student ID when riding the bus. It is recommended that you write your students' home and daycare information and bus letter/route on the back. The driver may ask your child for their ID in order to make sure they are on the correct bus.

BUS STOP: It's a good idea to show your child where the bus stop is and how to walk home from the bus stop from all possible directions to avoid confusion.

WRONG BUS: Teach and remind your child to tell the bus driver if they believe they are on the wrong bus. Have a conversation about what to do if they get off at the wrong stop or if someone is not home when they arrive. Make sure your child knows they should walk directly home after school unless an alternate plan was discussed. Parents may become worried if children simply stop to play at a neighbor’s house on their way home from the bus stop without letting parents know in advance.

RIDING ANOTHER BUS: Students are only allowed to ride their assigned bus. Friends riding with friends on an unassigned bus will not be allowed.

ITEMS NOT ALLOWED ON THE BUS: Have a conversation with your child about making good choices about what can be brought on the bus. Hazardous materials of any kind will not be allowed and student discipline will occur.

BUS CONCERNS: The bus stop is not the appropriate place to address any concerns with transportation. Please refrain from addressing the bus staff or students directly at the bus stop. Contact the school office to report your concern. The school administration team will review your concern and investigate as needed. If additional support is needed, the school administrator will contact the District for further assistance.

Menus are now available.

If you believe your family may qualify for free or reduced priced meal benefits, please complete a Household Eligibility Application. 

Please make sure your students have adequate funds on their PushCoin account. Even if your family receives free or reduced meals, a la carte items are extras that get charged to their account. To add funds, view purchase history, or check account balances, visit the PushCoin parent account setup page.

The Indian Prairie School District Food Service section is one stop for all of this information and more!

Families and educators are asking important questions about technology, artificial intelligence, and the role devices should play in learning. In IPSD 204, thoughtful practice already exists, from our work on responsible AI use to strong instruction already happening in classrooms across our schools. This year, we are building on that foundation to create clearer, more consistent, developmentally appropriate expectations for device use from Early Childhood through high school.

Our direction is simple: learning purpose comes before the device. Technology should be used when it strengthens instruction, expands access, or helps students create, communicate, and think deeply. It should not replace stronger hands-on, face-to-face, or paper-and-pencil learning experiences.

Throughout this school year, we will work with educators to develop practical guidance and gather input from students and families along the way. The goal is to support strong teaching, appropriate balance, and greater consistency across our schools. We will share updates and provide opportunities for feedback as the work moves forward.

Please view the Newcomers' Resource Guide for helpful information from District 204's Multilingual Department.

Amanda Adams, Spring Brook Elementary Principal

Adams is familiar to District 204, having most recently served as assistant principal at Granger Middle School for the past two and a half years. Prior to that, she was the student services coordinator at Spring Brook Elementary for two years and an ESL teacher at various District 204 elementary schools for eight years.

Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in reading from Aurora University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from North Central College.

Dr. Erin Alexander, Prairie Children Preschool Principal

Alexander comes to District 204 from Addison School District 4, where she served as principal of the Addison Early Learning Center for the past 11 years. Prior to that, she was an assistant principal at William B. Orenic Intermediate School in Plainfield for two years and a department chair and music educator in Schiller Park School District 81 for six years.

Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Elmhurst University, a master’s degree in music education from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in administration and supervision from National Louis University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University.

Margaret Darnell, Fischer Middle School Assistant Principal

Darnell joins District 204 from Oswego Community School District 308, where she served as assistant principal for building and operations for the past 11 years. Prior to that, she served as the dean of student discipline at both Oswego East High School and Plainfield East High School, spending one year in the role at each school. Previously, she spent five years as the division chair of fine arts and world language at Plainfield East High School.

Darnell holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of North Dakota. She also earned a certification in secondary education from the University of North Dakota, a superintendent certification from Lamar University, and a BTW certification from the University of St. Francis.

John Evans, Granger Middle School Assistant Principal

Evans comes to District 204 after serving as the principal of Traughber Junior High School in Oswego for the past three years. His leadership experience includes six years as principal at Indian Trail Middle School and seven years as assistant principal at John F. Kennedy Middle School, both in Plainfield. Additionally, Evans has served as principal at the Aurora Education Center in North Aurora, Dean of Instruction at Colorado Technical University in Hoffman Estates, and director of athletics at Yorkville High School, alongside various teaching positions throughout the western suburbs.

Evans earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from North Central College and holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Illinois University.

Matt Hanley, Assistant Director of Community Engagement

Hanley joins District 204 after serving as the communications coordinator at Community Consolidated School District 89 in Glen Ellyn for the past ten years. Previously, he spent three years as the Director of Community Relations for East Aurora District 131. Before transitioning to school communications, Hanley was a staff writer for the Aurora Beacon-News for a decade.

Hanley holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois and in education from Aurora University.

Dr. Jessica Hurt, Director of High School Curriculum

Hurt comes to District 204 from York Community High School, where she served as principal for the past three years. Prior to that, she spent 12 years at Hinsdale Central High School, serving as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction for six years, Assistant Principal of Operations for one year, and Social Studies Department Chair for five years. She also held multiple teaching positions in Oswego and Hinsdale for thirteen years.

Hurt holds a bachelor’s degree in social science and secondary education from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Aurora University. She earned two separate doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University: a doctorate in educational leadership with a superintendent endorsement, and a second doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies.

Dr. Sara Jennings, Metea Valley High School Principal

Jennings joins District 204 following a 21-year career at DeKalb High School. Most recently, she served as assistant principal for teaching and learning for one and a half years and assistant principal for student services and operations for two years. Prior to that, she was a Spanish teacher, multi-tiered systems of support/positive behavioral interventions and supports coach for eight years and a literacy teacher for four years.

Jennings earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Spanish from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in reading and literacy from Benedictine University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from American College of Education.

Elizabeth Schwaegler, May Watts Elementary Principal

Schwaegler joins District 204 from Troy Heritage Trail Elementary School in Joliet, where she has served as principal since July 2022 and previously as assistant principal for four years. Earlier in her career, she was a math coordinator for five years at East Aurora School District 131 and a mathematics teacher at C.F. Simmons Middle School for seven years.

Schwaegler earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree in teacher leadership in mathematics from Aurora University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from North Central College.

Matt Walsh, Hill Middle School Assistant Principal

A familiar face to District 204, Walsh has dedicated the past 20 years to serving a multilingual learner teacher at Granger Middle School. He began his career as a bilingual teacher at Nature Ridge Elementary School in Bartlett before transitioning to the district. In recognition of his exceptional commitment to education, Walsh was inducted into the Illinois State University Teacher Hall of Fame in 2025.

He holds a bachelor's degree in bilingual/bicultural education from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University.

The School Health Services Department reminds parents that the required State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination/Immunization form, Illinois Dental form and Illinois Eye exam form can be found under Health Services. Information about grade-level requirements was included in this year's registration packet. Students' immunization status and physicals will be reviewed by registered nurses and school nurses. Parents will be notified of any deficiencies. Per state law, if requirements are not met for the school year, students will be excluded from school starting on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Those who did not comply with the requirements for the 2025-2026 school year and remain noncompliant will be excluded on Monday, August 17, 2026. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your school's health office.

Student and staff safety is a top priority of District 204. We are continuously reviewing our safety practices and training our staff so we are prepared in the event of a major incident.

If an emergency occurs in our schools, parents will be notified through all contact information that is on file in ParentVUE (email, phone, and text message). A major incident is considered any event that would require first responder involvement from multiple agencies and includes students being evacuated from their school and transported to an offsite location.

If a major incident occurs at your child’s school, we will first inform you that an incident has occurred. When you receive this notification, the following steps should be taken immediately:

1. Do not go to your child’s school. This interferes with the ability of first responders to effectively do their job and could potentially put you or others in danger.
2. Locate your driver’s license or another form of photo ID – this will be required to pick up your child at the reunification site.
3. Allow school and district officials to assess the situation and determine the best site to relocate students safely. You will receive communication as soon as students are safely transported to an alternate location and reunification details are available.

Be sure to update your contact information in Parent VUE prior to the start of the school year. This will ensure you receive communications from your child’s school and the district. To receive text messages, you must have a designated phone number listed in Parent VUE for SMS messages. Please see the SMS Messaging Setup Instructions. In the event of an emergency, the district may use text messaging as a form of communication to parents and guardians.

The updated 2026–2027 Parent-Student Handbook is now available. They can be found on our District Handbooks page.

Access the 2026–27 School Calendar and the 2026–27 Vacation Planning Guide to stay up to date on key dates and school breaks.

This school year, elementary students will participate in scheduled early release days, with dismissal at 1:00 PM on September 24, 2026, December 15, 2026, and February 4, 2027.

This dedicated time allows elementary teaching teams to analyze student assessment data and collaboratively plan targeted instruction to support every child's academic growth.

On-site childcare will be available during early release afternoons through our community partnerships with Y Safe 'N Sound and Right at School.

Registration details for childcare programs will be provided in upcoming communications. Please contact the main office with any immediate questions.

Student attendance is essential to academic success. To support your planning, we have created a 2026-27 Vacation Planning Guide to help maximize your child's time in school, ensuring they have the best opportunity for academic growth. Thank you for your partnership in prioritizing student learning.

First day of school: August 17, 2026

Last day of school: May 28, 2027

Emergency days if needed: June 1 - 7, 2027

Student days off

September 7, 2026
October 12, 2026
October 23, 2026
November 2, 2026
November 3, 2026
November 23 - 27, 2026
December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027
January 11, 2027
January 18, 2027
February 15, 2027
February 26, 2027
March 15, 2027
March 26, 2027
March 29 - April 2, 2027
April 5, 2027
April 6, 2027

Elementary early release days

September 24, 2026
December 15, 2026
February 4, 2027

Welcome back, IPSD 204 families! The Indian Prairie Educational Foundation (IPEF) is looking forward to partnering with each one of you to make the 2026-27 school year a success for all of our students and teachers! We invite you to explore our website. You will find valuable information about the programs IPEF supports, including the Fine Arts Festival and Concert Support, Robotics Clubs and STEM enrichment, teacher grants, free cardiac screenings for high school students, and other vital health and social-service programs. Together, let’s make this the best school year yet!