When third-graders at Romona Elementary crack open their reading materials Wednesday, Aug. 19, nothing will look familiar.

Wilmette District 39 is replacing its entire K-8 English Language Arts curriculum this fall, launching two brand-new programs across all six schools on the first day of classes.

Students at Central, Harper, McKenzie and Romona will use Collaborative Classroom, a nonprofit-developed literacy program that pairs reading and writing instruction with social-emotional learning. At Highcrest Middle School and Wilmette Junior High, sixth- through eighth-graders will work through CommonLit 360, a curriculum organized around six thematic units per grade that earned an all-green rating from EdReports. An independent study by Mathematica found students in CommonLit 360 classrooms gained 2.1 additional months of learning compared to peers.

The district announced the changes in its back-to-school letter published Thursday, Aug. 13, the same day families received class assignments by email.

Phones stay in lockers

District 39's "Away for the Day" policy returns unchanged: cell phones, smartwatches and other wearable technology must be powered off and stored in lockers for the entire school day. Parents who need to reach a child are asked to call the school office.

The policy already meets the standard set by Illinois Senate Bill 2427, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed July 28. That law requires all roughly 850 public school districts to implement bell-to-bell phone bans for K-8 students by the 2027-28 school year. District 39 is a year ahead of the deadline.

"Every parent and educator knows the damage that unchecked screen time and social media can do to our children and how disruptive they can be in school," Pritzker said in June when the legislature passed the bill.

The state law includes mandatory exceptions for students with IEPs, medical needs or primary caregiving responsibilities. District-issued iPads remain at school for elementary students unless a specific homework assignment requires one, and students may not use electronic devices during recess or free time.

Strategic plan launches

The Board of Education approved a new five-year Strategic Plan at its June meeting following a community-wide planning process. Implementation begins with this school year, and the board reviewed 2026-27 action planning at its Committee of the Whole meeting Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Mikaelian Education Center.

The next regular board meeting is Monday, Aug. 24, at the same location (615 Locust Rd., Wilmette). All meetings are open to the public.

What's not yet clear

The district's letter does not name the ELA curriculum being replaced, making it difficult to gauge the full scope of the shift. It also does not address how Collaborative Classroom or CommonLit 360 will serve students with IEPs and 504 plans.

First day logistics

Wednesday, Aug. 19, is an early-release day. Thursday, Aug. 20, is the first full day of classes. The Lechner Early Education Program begins full attendance Tuesday, Aug. 25.