U-46 is the second-largest school district in Illinois, serving roughly 34,000 students across 55 schools and 11 municipalities. With a district of this size and complexity, operations are as critical as instruction. Adopting a hybrid model required careful balance — not full remote work, but structured flexibility that supports both staff well-being and the daily needs of schools and students.
We do not offer a fully remote option. Instead, employees in eligible roles may request a limited hybrid schedule, typically one day per week for operational administrators and no more than two days for IT or finance staff. While many frontline operations positions in transportation, facilities, and food service cannot be hybrid, certain non-administrative support roles do qualify, depending on responsibilities.
This balance matters for recruitment. Located on the far northwest edge of the Chicago suburbs, U-46 competes for talent in a region where many professionals face an hour-long commute. Hybrid flexibility has allowed us to broaden our candidate pool. In fact, several recent hires told us that without hybrid options, they would not have considered our district.
Operational departments require new employees to work onsite for three to six months before becoming eligible for hybrid schedules. This mandate ensures staff have time to build relationships, learn district systems, and establish themselves before moving to a more flexible model. The human resources department also offers hybrid options, although its requirements are structured differently due to the nature of ongoing staff relationships.
Productivity with Accountability
Hybrid models succeed when they are rooted in accountability. For us, that means:
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Clear expectations: Employees must be fully accessible by phone, chat, email, and video throughout the workday. Hybrid workdays cannot be used for extended travel or childcare, and staff must remain available to report onsite within the amount of time it typically takes them to get to work or an hour, whichever is higher.
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Shared structure: All staff are expected to be onsite a minimum of two days per week. To protect team cohesion, many groups require universal in-office days — for example, Mondays and Fridays — so meetings and collaboration don’t suffer.
The outcomes have been clear: fewer office interruptions, more focus during critical deadlines, and higher morale among staff who view hybrid work as a meaningful benefit. Employees report that remote days help them complete more complex work without distraction, while leaders find they can focus on priorities that require sustained concentration.
We have also seen hybrid work contribute to faster completion of IT projects, smoother processing of finance workflows, and stronger retention in hard-to-fill positions — outcomes that directly strengthen district operations.
National research reinforces these results. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics review found that hybrid and remote work across professional and technical fields jumped from under 17% pre-pandemic to over 39% in 2021. More importantly, studies show that when hybrid work is paired with a strong culture and clear expectations, productivity is maintained or even improved.
Communication and Collaboration
One of the strongest lessons from our hybrid journey is that communication must be intentional. Hybrid work can make staff feel invisible if expectations aren’t clear. To prevent that, we:
These practices ensure that hybrid work doesn’t erode team cohesion. In fact, our in-person meetings have become more focused and productive because they are fewer and more intentional.
Employee Morale and Work-Life Balance
Hybrid flexibility has strengthened morale across eligible roles. Staff consistently report an improved work-life balance, reduced commuting stress, and greater flexibility in managing personal responsibilities. Many also point out cost savings on fuel and commuting expenses. For younger employees, especially, the option of hybrid work has become an expectation, making it a critical tool for retention.
For me personally, the change has been significant. I underestimated the toll that a long commute can take in an already demanding role. Having one day a week to work remotely has allowed me to regain balance while still meeting the needs of the Superintendent, Board, and staff.
While hybrid has been a lifeline for many staff — both administrative and certain non-administrative roles — we also recognize that the realities are very different for frontline employees whose work requires them to be onsite every day.
At the same time, we recognize the equity challenge: not every role can be hybrid. Frontline staff — bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria teams — must be present every day to serve students. Our responsibility as leaders is to communicate clearly why hybrid applies to some roles and not others, and to ensure that flexibility in one area does not come at the expense of fairness across the organization.
Equity is central to how we structure hybrid work. By balancing flexibility for eligible roles with fairness for those who must be onsite every day, we reinforce our commitment to valuing all employees and their contributions.
Hybrid work also brings challenges. With different staff members working remotely on different days, scheduling full-team meetings can be challenging. To address this, many teams establish fixed in-office days to ensure guaranteed collaboration. Other challenges include ensuring that employees do not use hybrid work arrangements as a substitute for travel or childcare, and managing managers whose physical presence is critical to daily operations.
We address these issues through clear boundaries and seasonal flexibility. Staff must remain available to report onsite within the amount of time it typically takes them to get to work or an hour, whichever is higher. During summer and winter breaks, when operational demands shift, we provide more flexibility and align schedules by moving all employees to day shifts.
The key is balance: flexibility where it strengthens operations, limits where it risks undermining service.
Lessons for Other Districts
If I could share one lesson, it is this: Hybrid work must be designed intentionally. Left vague, it can cause inequities and confusion. Done well, it becomes a strategic tool for recruitment, retention, productivity, and morale.
For districts considering a hybrid model, I recommend:
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Review roles individually for eligibility.
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Set clear expectations for accountability and availability.
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Require new staff to work onsite long enough to build relationships before granting hybrid flexibility.
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Establish universal in-office days to keep teams connected.
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Treat hybrid as a privilege — earned, measured, and sustained by results.
Other districts have already begun adapting these practices. Geneva District 304, for example, modeled its hybrid approach after U-46, requiring staff to set goals in advance and tying hybrid eligibility to meeting those goals. Their experience reinforces what we’ve learned: hybrid success depends on clarity and accountability.
Hybrid work is not a passing trend. In U-46, it is a structured, sustainable model that supports employee well-being, strengthens recruitment, and improves productivity — all while ensuring accountability to our schools and students.
For other districts across the U.S. and internationally, the lesson is simple: the “sweet spot” is not full remote or rigid in-office mandates, but a hybrid balance built on structure, communication, and trust. Hybrid work, when done intentionally, is not a perk — it is a strategic advantage that strengthens operations and directly supports the core mission of serving students. No matter your size or geography, these principles can be adapted to strengthen operations and better serve students.