DANVILLE — The Danville school district should try a longer day for at least one elementary school some time in the next three years.

An updated draft of a long-term plan for the district recommends trying a longer school day in at least one elementary school some time between 2012 and 2014.

One school board member said he's eager to see a longer school day and year at schools throughout the district.

"At least from a layman's point of view, if the kids are in school longer and for more days, I'm thinking that may be a good way to improve our test scores," Frank Young said, adding he's willing to listen to the advantages and disadvantages. "Since we're going into contract talks (next year), I think it's something we'd want to address soon."

For the last week, board members have been reviewing the more than 155 recommendations for improving the district, which are included in the draft. They will have a chance to offer suggestions and make any revisions at their Nov. 16 meeting.

The recommendations came from more than 900 focus group participants including district staff, students, parents, business and community leaders and other community members. District directors and principals reviewed them, deleted ones that already had been put in place such as putting resource officers at the middle schools, filled in any gaps and used a voting system to prioritize them.

"Our goal is to work on 15 items each year," said Associate Superintendent Dianna Kirk, who recently presented the board with a revised draft that spreads the recommendations out over five years.

The recommendations cover the areas of academic achievement and curriculum, communication and marketing, facilities, financing, human resources and staffing, parental and community involvement and safety and discipline.

Under the revised draft the district would work on expanding alternative programming options for students and try to bring all of those programs, which currently are spread out in several locations, under one roof this year. It also would develop an Illinois standards-based K-2 report card and hire a parent liaison; complete the renovations at South View and North Ridge Middle school; establish a finance and cost-containment committee for the district; increase the number of minority staff; and research proven strategies for getting parents to be more engaged and involved in their children's education, among other things.

From 2012 to 2014, the district would rewrite the curriculum to align with Common Core Standards; define and implement a mastery list for every grade level; and incorporate more formal writing assignments at all grade levels. It also would pilot a standards-based K-2 report card and develop and pilot one for grades 3-5; complete the East Park Elementary School renovation and improve the curb appeal of every school building; align resources with the strategic plan's goals; use a new teacher evaluation process to reward, remediate or dismiss teachers; investigate parent volunteer programs in all buildings; and develop and implement a conflict-resolution and violence prevention curriculum for students, among other things.

From 2014 to 2016, the district would consider lengthening the school day and/or the year, expand the preschool program, start a writing lab at the high school and develop after-school programs for multiple subjects beyond math. It also would use social networking sites to engage alumni and community support; install air conditioning in all buildings that don't already have it; evaluate and reallocate staffing to implement the plan's priorities; provide additional staff training on new technology, diversity and multicultural teaching; design a pilot program to teach parents how to assist their children with basic skills; and provide refocus rooms at elementary schools, among other things.

Kirk said the public can view the revised draft on the district's website at http://www.danville.k12.il.us, and offer feedback.

Superintendent Mark Denman has said he hopes board members will be ready to finalize the plan at their next meeting, but that they may not be ready to do that. "If we wait until December, half of the year will be over with," he said recently. "We want to get moving on this.