The Champaign Federation of Teachers and the Unit 4 Board of Education reached a tentative contract agreement Tuesday night, halting a potential teacher strike.

The Champaign Unit 4 School Board rejected a charter school proposal in a 6-1 vote during a special meeting Wednesday night. School administrators who reviewed the proposal for the North Champaign Academy said it does not meet state requirements for charter schools.

Members of the steering committee behind a proposed Champaign charter school struggled to answer dozens of questions from Unit 4 school board officials during a public hearing Monday night.

Champaign Unit 4 has promoted from within for its next superintendent. The school board announced Wednesday night that Susan Zola, currently serving as the District's Assistant Superintendent for Achievement, Curriculum, and Instruction at the District's 12 elementary schools will take over for the retiring Judy Wiegand on July 1. Zola was chosen from three candidates after a national search was conducted.

A bond referendum to fund school construction is back on the ballot in the Champaign Unit Four school district this election season. This third version of the proposal is bigger than previous ones. Plus, there’s a big change of address for the most controversial project.