Incoming freshmen at Downers Grove South High School won't set foot on campus until 11 a.m. on Friday, August 14, while upperclassmen will already be heading home.

The school posted its first-day schedule for the 2026-27 year, splitting the day into two distinct blocks. Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 start Period 1 at 8:20 a.m. and cycle through all eight periods in abbreviated 15-minute sessions before dismissal at 11:05 a.m. During Period 3, those students will watch a "Welcome Back" video and hear announcements.

Ninth-grade students — the incoming Class of 2030 — arrive at 11 a.m. for a 9th Grade Class Assembly on the Main Stage. From noon to 12:20 p.m., freshmen break into Blue Crew small groups in classrooms, then get 20 minutes to locate lockers and find their way around the hallways. Their abbreviated class periods begin at 12:45 p.m., with dismissal at 3:20 p.m.

Both groups will report to the Learning Commons during their scheduled lunch periods rather than the cafeteria.

Not a typical first day

The staggered format means August 14 is shorter than a regular school day for all students. The district-wide academic calendar, approved by the District 99 Board of Education on Monday, May 19, 2025, lists Monday, August 17 as the official "First Day of Classes." The DGS enrollment page also references August 14 as the start of the school year. The abbreviated schedule and assembly format indicate August 14 functions as an orientation day before full-length classes begin the following Monday.

Early Bird and enrollment deadlines

Early Bird classes at DGS begin Tuesday, August 18, at 7:30 a.m.

All students must complete enrollment through Infinite Campus before August 14. The enrollment portal opened Tuesday, June 23, according to the DGS website. Families who have not yet enrolled should do so at south.csd99.org/families/enrollment.

The first District 99 Board of Education business meeting of the new school year is Monday, August 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Administrative Service Center.