School districts in Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, Rantoul, St. Joseph and beyond are announcing their plans (and the updates to their plans) as area families plan for fall
Editor’s note: this information is changing very quickly in these final weeks of summer. We will continue to monitor information and update it here as it becomes available. Feel free to bookmark this post to check back again and again as we will do our best to keep it up-to-date with the news you want to know.
With so many school districts in our close geographic area, Champaign-Urbana news is full of information on area schools and their reopening plans. We felt it was best to share the latest news in a single post that could be referenced again and again so that you can find out what is shared at area board meetings, info sessions and district-wide email communication in your district – and learn what other area districts are doing, too.
There is a great deal of uncertainty around fall reopening plans for our local school districts and we just want to take this opportunity to recognize the tremendously huge and challenging task our local educators are facing as they plan for fall. Teachers, administrators and school staff in all roles, we appreciate you!
Champaign-Urbana Area Schools Share Reopening Plans
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Champaign Unit 4 | Urbana School District | Mahomet-Seymour School District | Rantoul City Schools | St. Joseph CCSD #169 | Monticello CUSD #25 | Unit 7 Schools | Tuscola Community Unit School
Champaign Unit 4
Champaign Unit 4 School District Reopening Plan
Update: Aug 10 — read more here
Most recent information released
- The district will only offer remote learning through the first quarter of the new school year
- The first day of distance learning will be Wednesday, August 26, with August 24 & 25 as “orientation” days. This may include parent/teacher conferences.
- Kindergarten through fifth grade students will have 2.5 hours of live instruction, 2.5 hours of independent learning resources.
- Middle school students will have 8 periods, with 25-minute classes, and a 35-minute break for lunch.
- High school students will have eight 30-minute periods.
- The district is working with the city, Comcast, and other local internet providers to make sure that all students have access to internet and home WiFi. (The plan provides way more depth on how the district will do this, which includes Comcast codes, Verizon Wifi hotspots and more.)
Read about previous plans here – July 10 update, July 29 update, August 5 update
Urbana School District
Urbana School District Reopening Plan
Update: August 12 – read more here
Most recent information released
- The Urbana School District Board of Education voted to approve Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum’s revised reopening plan that the district start all students with remote learning. Read the whole plan here.
- First day of school remains August 24; the district will distribute supplies during meal distributions the first week of school (Aug. 26-28).
- Plans for in-person learning will be re-evaluated mid-September
The Urbana School District had been planning to have students attend in person two days a week and learn remotely the other three days. Read the info on that plan from July 8 here.
Mahomet-Seymour School District
Mahomet-Seymour School District Reopening Plan
Update: August 3 – complete reopening plan can be found on school website
Most recent information released
- The school year will begin with a hybrid learning option. A section of K-5 students attend in the morning and a section attend in the afternoon, Tuesday through Friday. Monday would be an all-distance learning day. Students in grades 6-12 will attend in person two days a week and learning at home the other three days.
- The in-person learning plan will be re-evaluated for October 1 with a hope to shift to in-person learning five days per week (depending on conditions/factors involved in consideration).
- The district also gave a remote option parents had to “opt in” for. Students are assigned to a Mahomet-Seymour teacher who is teaching an all-remote class and there are multiple sections per grade level. Parents commit to remote learning for the entire first semester, regardless of if/when the hybrid option moves to five full days in the classroom.
Rantoul City Schools
Rantoul School District Reopening Plan
Update: July 13 — read the entire update here
Most recent information released
- The plan outlines two options for families, 1) a blended model of two days of in-person learning per week with three days at home OR 2) the student learns remotely entirely at home.
- The exact length of the school day hasn’t yet been released, but the elementary day could be from 7:30-11:30 a.m. and the Jr. High could be 8:30-12:30 p.m. These are just examples and not yet confirmed.
- When addressing the question about why a full return to school is not possible at this time, Rantoul City Schools states, “RCS feels that the best way to keep students and staff as safe as possible means that six feet social distancing must be in place in all settings. If someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, every single person who is in contact with that person less than six feet for 15 minutes or longer must be quarantined.” It goes on later to say quarantined for 14 full calendar days.
St. Joseph CCSD #169
St. Joseph CCSD #169 Reopening Plan
Most recent information released
- Students will attend school in-person for half day Monday-Friday
- More detailed information to be released soon
Monticello CUSD #25
Monticello CUSD #25 Reopening Plan
Update: July 27– read the entire update here
Most recent information released
The latest update included detailed information on the two options in the district: in-person learning OR at-home learning. Students must “opt out” of in-person learning by informing school principals by August 12. Students may move from in-school learning to at-home learning during the semester but may NOT move from at-home learning to in-school learning.
- The in-school plan will have students attend school five days a week, following the early dismissal schedule daily (dismissing between 1:00 and 1:15 p.m.)
- The at-home plan will share instructional plans at least weekly, with teacher/student remote interaction between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday.
Unit 7 School District
Unit 7 School District Reopening Plan
Update: July 20 — read the entire update here
- Unit 7 will provide full in-school learning five days per week with shortened school days. K-5 will attend from 8:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with lunch on-site and junior high/high school will attend from 8:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Grab and go lunch will be provided and guided remote learning from 1 – 3 p.m.
- Parents or guardians who choose not to have their child attend for in-person instruction will need to notify individual schools at registration. Students will be provided guided remote learning for the semester.
Tuscola Community Unit School
Tuscola Community Unit School Reopening Plan
Update: July 27, 2020 – read the entire update here
- Tuscola Community Unit Schools will reopen for in-school learning with the following schedule:
Monday/Tuesday 2:00 p.m. dismissal
Wednesday 12 p.m. dismissal
Thursday/Friday 2:00 p.m. dismissal - They added the option of students to view the classroom via Google Meet daily during the school day for families who opt to learn remotely. Attendance will be required and students must be visible in the Google Meet.