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.
Citing concerns over declining academic performance for black students in Champaign Unit 4 schools, some community members plan to ask the district to create a new charter school in north Champaign. Illinois Public Media’s Christine Herman learned more from steering committee member Nathaniel Banks.
The weekend performances at Krannert's Studio Theatre are part of a nearly three-year partnership with the Banks Bridgewater Lewis Fine Arts Academy, and partially made possible through a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The show includes a cast of 24, and 13-piece orchestra. The shows are sold out, but Krannert has set up a waiting list for any returned tickets.
Laurie Bonnett's last meeting with the Champaign School Board is Monday. The former Unit Four board president, who's moving out of town, says she hopes to see a more collaborative strucuture in the future of school facilities, and believes the board can benefit from the high rate of turnover of late, bringing new and innovative ideas.
