Unit 4 Board President Discusses Tier II Committee Report
The front entrance at Champaign Central High School, which would be renovated and expanded under a recommendation from a special facilities committee. Jeff Bossert/Illinois Public Media
At Monday night's meeting, the Champaign Unit 4 School Board received the final report from the district's Tier II Facilities Committee, comprised of stakeholders from different parts of the community. The report recommends renovating and expanding Champaign Central High School at its current site, rather than building a new high school.
School board president Chris Kloeppel discussed the committee's report with Illinois Public Media's Brian Moline. In addition to the plans for Central High School, they discussed the needs for Centennial High School and Dr. Howard Elementary, plus the next steps for the board, which must decide by mid-August what referendum to put before voters in November. The committee also made recommendations for renovations to Edison Middle School, Southside Elementary, and the International Prep Academy. Two previous referenda, which would have built a new high school on Interstate Drive at the northern edge of Champaign, were rejected by voters in 2014 and 2015.
The school board is holding two town hall meetings to get feedback from the community on the proposals. The first is on Thursday June 23 at Central High School, with a second on Thursday July 14 at Centennial High School.