Despite a growing need for mental health services in the community, the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois says the resources remain underfunded and understaffed. “I think mental health services everywhere are underfunded,” said Center director Carla McCowan. “How many staff members do you need before you meet demands? What’s that…
URBANA, Jan. 11 — Urbana Middle School will stay with remote instruction for the rest of this week. Absences among staff at Urbana Middle School pushed the school to go virtual this week. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum says she doesn’t expect other Urbana schools to go virtual. “Even before Thanksgiving, we have been doing…
Students and staff at Urbana public schools only need to isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID-19. District 116 made the change on Monday, after federal, state and local public health agencies all greenlighted the new quarantine guidance. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum said students and staff who are still sick with a…
A University of Illinois research team has published a study on the impact of assistance programs on vulnerable families. According to a new report from the Project for Middle Class Renewal at U of I, extending the child tax credit program beyond 2021 could promote financial stability in low-and-moderate-income families. Dylan Bellisle is a postdoctoral…
Champaign Unit 4 School District and the City of Champaign have launched the Leading Individuals and Families to Transformation program, also known as LIFT. LIFT will focus on African American students and families who are experiencing academic and personal challenges. The program provides trauma-informed care through intensive support from both school-based and community resources. Anthony…
CHAMPAIGN — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has halved the number of days of isolation recommended for those sick with COVID-19. Illinois school districts have not made that change – yet. The difference has caused enough confusion among parents that the Champaign Unit 4 School District superintendent had to email out a…
A University of Illinois’ dorm tradition of singing through the phone still continues after dealing with the pandemic. After the absence of singing live to callers last year, Dial-A-Carol at Snyder Hall is back with on-air performances. Dial-A-Carol is the longest-running tradition in University Housing, which has been hosted by Snyder Hall since 1960. Groups…
URBANA — The University of Illinois announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person spring classes on its Urbana campus by one week. Chancellor Robert Jones said in a mass email to faculty, staff and graduate students that the first week of classes next semester will be online starting Tuesday, Jan. 18. U…
When International Prep Academy in Champaign sent students home in March 2020, 10-year-old Ana Hernandez and her mom started what they called the “Hernandez Homeschool.” Ana’s mom, Genevieve Kirk, looked up different teaching resources and curriculum to keep Ana on track, she said. This process, she said, connected her with both of her children—Ana and…
CHAMPAIGN — The first pandemic-era standardized test results are out. Student achievement dropped all over Illinois, including in local school districts. Champaign Unit 4 fifth grade teacher Kim Tate sees pandemic stress as one reason behind the test score decline. “There’s that element of, ‘I have other priorities and concerns and even trauma.’ Because I…
Updated at 4:30 p.m. CHAMPAIGN – School officials have lifted a lockdown at Champaign Central High School, which was imposed Friday after several fights broke out. Unit 4 spokesperson Stacey Moore says police were called after a large group of students rushed out of the school and one student claimed that a gun was involved in…
CHAMPAIGN – For two years, the Housing Authority of Champaign County’s YouthBuild program has helped young people finish their high school diplomas, while renovating public housing properties. The program managers also see the training program as a youth violence prevention initiative. “It’s a safe place where they can come in and talk, and we provide…
URBANA — School districts in Champaign and Urbana are considering installing metal detectors in response to a rise in youth violence. But a social science researcher says metal detectors are not as effective as more long-term violence prevention. Jun Sung Hong is a professor at the School of Social Work at Wayne State University and…
URBANA — More teachers in hallways between classes. Inclusion of Latin American history in dual language programs. Fewer weapons in schools. These are some of the top issues of the first ever student representatives on the Urbana District 116 Board of Education. The three students took their official oaths of office on Tuesday evening. The…
From Iowa to Oklahoma to Kansas, universities are working more closely with agribusiness in search of ways to pay for projects where tax dollars have become more scarce. Critics worry that agriculture schools might focus more on industry than the public interest. Read Part I and Part II of this series. AMES, IOWA — Iowa…