What The University Of Illinois Learned From Reopening Amid The Pandemic
When University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign officials decided to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they launched an ambitious plan to…
U.S. Dept. Of Education Opens Investigation Into Alleged Anti-Semitism At U Of I
URBANA – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the University of Illinois’ response to reports of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist incidents on its Urbana campus. Three Jewish organizations — including the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, the Jewish United Fund and Hillel International — filed a complaint earlier this…
Macon County Health Officials Urge Schools To Transition To Remote Learning
DECATUR – The Macon County Health Department is urging all schools within the county to switch to remote instruction at least through January 15 as COVID-19 cases surge. Macon County Public Health Administrator Brandi Binkley made the announcement during a press conference Monday afternoon. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District urged that county’s schools to switch…
‘Painful’ Funding Cuts For Illinois Schools Loom Following Fair Tax Rejection
SPRINGFIELD – After voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have increased taxes on the state’s highest earners, Illinois school district officials and advocates expect cuts to state funding. The ballot initiative, commonly referred to by advocates as the “Fair Tax,” was projected to pump billions into the state’s coffers during a period when the…
New Restrictions Begin In Champaign-Urbana Due To Rising COVID-19 Rates
CHAMPAIGN – From schools to restaurants to hospitals, restrictions are once again underway around Champaign County as COVID-19 cases rise. Friday will be the last day for in-person classes at Champaign Unit 4 Schools and Urbana School District 116. Both districts are switching to remote instruction only, starting Monday. At a Thursday news conference, Champaign-Urbana…
Champaign Unit 4 Plans To Bring Middle, High Schoolers Back To Classrooms In January
CHAMPAIGN – During a Board of Education meeting Monday night, Champaign Unit 4 Schools officials discussed bringing middle and high school students back into classrooms beginning in January. The plan as presented by Unit 4 administrators includes two schedules. Under either scenario, all students would learn virtually on Mondays, and in the mornings for the…
U Of I Preparing To Expand COVID-19 Testing To Champaign-Urbana Community
URBANA – The University of Illinois’ saliva-based COVID-19 testing program will soon be available to the larger Champaign-Urbana community, according to university officials. Currently, the test is only available to students and staff on some college campuses. But officials say plans are now in the works to make it available to Champaign-Urbana community members, too….
COVID-19 Impacts Illinois School Data Collection, Including Attendance Rates
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) published its annual school report card data Friday, but state officials urged caution when interpreting that data due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection for the 2019-20 school year. State Superintendent Carmen Ayala said during a call with reporters this week that…
During Champaign Visit, Pritzker Unveils Plan To Support Manufacturing In Illinois
CHAMPAIGN – During a visit to Champaign on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the creation of two new manufacturing training academies in downstate Illinois. Community colleges located outside of Cook and the collar counties can apply for millions in grant funds from the state to create the academies that will provide students with 21st-century manufacturing…
Without A Field To Play On, The Marching Illini Meet Over Zoom
URBANA – As a freshman member of the University of Illinois’ marching band, Matthew Kostbade was looking forward to performing on the field. “I can see Memorial Stadium from this window right now and it pains me to look at it especially on Saturday’s when I know we could be out there with my drum…
Champaign Unit 4 Elementary Students Can Return To In-Person Instruction
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 elementary school students will have the option to return to some in-person instruction at the end of this month. Unit 4 officials unveiled plans this week to bring students back into classrooms for shortened school days. The first day of in-person instruction is scheduled for Oct. 27. Parents can still…
Central Illinois Hospital Provides Free, Rapid COVID-19 Testing To Piatt County Schools
MONTICELLO — Students and employees of school districts in Piatt County now have access to free, rapid COVID-19 testing through Kirby Medical Center — a rural hospital based in Monticello. Monticello school officials hope access to rapid COVID-19 testing will decrease the number of student and teacher absences in the district. Illinois Department of Public…
Campus crime reports significantly different; Some call for reform of federal Clery Act
Last year, 233 criminal incidents occurred on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus according to the 2019 annual security and fire report, mandated by the federal crime reporting law for colleges known as the Clery Act. But the university’s daily crime log routinely reports many more incidents. For example, there were 764 incidents reported in just…
Great Shakeout Invites Illinoisans To Prepare For Earthquakes
CARBONDALE — Drop, Cover and Hold On. Those are the directions for everyone taking part in the annual Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill next Thursday. Harvey Henson is a professor of geology and seismology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in a part of the state where three seismic zones overlap — the New Madrid, Wabash…
Urbana Schools To Continue Remote Learning For Most Students Until At Least January
URBANA – Most Urbana District 116 students will continue to learn remotely — at least until January when the third quarter of the school year is scheduled to begin. The district initially recommended elementary school students move toward a hybrid schedule, which included in-person instruction in the morning hours four days per week, and remote…