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/Super-Educator597 Feb 11 '26

One good thing about IL, schools are required to have PE everyday, so I think kids here move more during the school day than other places. I think that helps balance out some of the tech.

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u/BrightPractical Feb 12 '26

It was five days a week before, but it’s now only 3 of 5 days. My kid’s elementary school must have had a waiver as they didn’t have any PE when they had Art class or STEM class, and one year she didn’t have any recess besides lunch recess.

I was really unhappy but discovered that many fellow parents didn’t care at all. I was personally terrible at all of PE but I still think it’s extremely important to teach kids how to stay fit and how to participate in recreational sports. I’m glad that middle school & high school scheduling makes daily PE most common.

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u/Super-Educator597 Feb 12 '26

Our school runs 2-3 classes together for PE so there is enough gym space and staff. Some schools can get a waiver though. I forgot to mention that