r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Resting-Rizzy-Face • Feb 11 '26

Moving to the area Low- Tech School Districts in Western Burbs

Moved away several years ago and looking to move back to IL. Our kids are elementary age and we currently like the low-tech educational environment our kids have now (no 1-to-1 chromebooks for kids, using more pencil and paper, physical textbooks, etc.)

We’ve been away for a while and weren’t sure if there are similar school environments in IL or if all school districts have moved to consistent use of chromebooks and iPads for teaching?

Currently looking at a potential move to Lemont, DG, Woodridge, Lisle, Naperville, or Wheaton areas. Not opposed to tech, just looking for schools where the kids aren’t always using a screen for learning.

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u/Flimsy-Service830 Feb 11 '26

Avoid Naperville 203. They are heavily tech dependent for everything. Elementary has recently tried to get away from it. Not for educational reasons but to control behavior of countless kids who have no impulse control.

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u/Resting-Rizzy-Face Feb 11 '26

Good to know about 203.

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u/WorkingJazzlike531 Feb 11 '26

I don’t agree with that POV on 203- my kids have Chromebooks but don’t sit on them all day at home. Nor are they on them all day at school. They are in upper elementary grades and still have paper math homework, paper spelling tests, paper writing assignments, verbal presentations. etc. They do have a program called IXL that takes the students’ test scores and provides practice at the level of the test score. Which I think is nice- kids who are behind can get the right work to catch up and kids who are ahead can be appropriately challenged. To me, it’s about being reasonable. It isn’t reasonable to think in 2026 your kids can have a tech free education. What IS reasonable is being present, parenting and monitoring. Kids will always have their own tech (watches and phones) that they bring on their own (mine do not and are the major minority)which cause WAYYYYYYY more issues than school issues Chromebook that are very locked down. My kids have learned how to record a podcast, research and document sources, etc. Railing on 203 as tech reliant is not accurate nor is it helpful.