Emily Hays

Reporter

About Emily

             Emily Hays started at WILL in October 2021 after three-plus years in local newsrooms in Virginia and Connecticut. She has won state awards for her housing coverage at Charlottesville Tomorrow and her education reporting at the New Haven Independent. Emily graduated from Yale University where she majored in History and South Asian Studies.

A brick school building with an arched doorway and white columns is in the background. In the foreground is a "Keep Out" sign and rope cordoning off the entrance. This is Decatur's 100-year-old Dennis Lab School in 2023 after it was deemed unsafe for students.

Decatur Public Schools looking for ways to turn around ‘bleak’ decline in student population

January 28, 2026 No Comments

A demographer reported to the District 61 school board Tuesday that it is facing one of the toughest environments for growth he has ever seen.

Meet the women starting a ‘Promise Zone’ at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy

January 26, 2026 No Comments

A group of women want to help Champaign Unit 4 School District keep its promises to Black children.

A white man with glasses, a beige sweater and a smile stands in front of an art exhibit.

Man makes big leap from University of Illinois college-in-prison program to working towards U of I degree

January 20, 2026 No Comments

Pierce spent over 20 years in prison. While inside Danville Correctional Center, he took college courses through U of I’s Education Justice Project.

A brick building on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign quad in August 2025. There are white columns and a second story porch with a white, crisscross railing.

Tuition is going up for incoming University of Illinois undergrads

January 15, 2026 No Comments

Tuition for incoming, in-state students will increase by 2%. It will increase more for out-of-state and international students.

A white-haired man in a suit gestures with his hands, in front of a blue curtain. He is speaking into a studio microphone.

Tim Killeen to step down as University of Illinois System president in 2027

January 12, 2026 No Comments

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen announced on Thursday that he will leave his role at the end of his current contract in June 2027.

A white woman in a yellow vest stands by a car with a yellow sign that says "Good Justice."

PHOTOS: Champaign-Urbana joins nationwide protests against ICE, Border Patrol shootings

January 11, 2026 No Comments

Organizers estimate 200 cars joined the caravan Saturday afternoon to protest recent shootings by federal immigration officers.