Champaign Unit 4 School District

This month, we celebrate our LGBTQ+ students, staff, families, and community members. At Unit 4, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student feels seen and valued.

Congratulations to Central senior Andrew Myers on earning the rank of Eagle Scout! Andrew earned this honor after completing 21 merit badges and dedicating 114 hours to a service project building shelves for the community. We are proud of Andrew’s leadership and commitment to excellence.

Free summer meals for children 18 and younger begin next week through Unit 4’s Summer Food Service Program!

Breakfast and lunch will be available at locations across the community at no cost to families.

See the chart for meal locations and times, and visit https://www.champaignschools.org/page/food-service#SummerMeals for more information.

Reminder: tonight, we celebrate the Class of 2026!

Join us as Centennial and Central seniors walk across the stage and begin their next chapter.

Centennial Commencement: 4:30 pm
Central Commencement: 7:30 pm

Visit the link below for ceremony details and additional information.
https://www.champaignschools.org/article/2930107

Today marked an exciting step forward for accessibility and inclusion in our community as leaders gathered for the groundbreaking of the new All-Abilities Activities Hub at the Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation Center. Funded through the State of Illinois OSLAD grant program, this inclusive outdoor space will create opportunities for recreation, connection, and play for individuals of all ages and abilities.

Champaign Unit 4 Schools was proud to support this important community project. The land used for the access improvement project south of Jefferson Middle School was formerly owned by Unit 4 and was transferred to the Park District to help make this vision possible. Acting Superintendent Dan Casillas represented Unit 4 at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony as we continue supporting efforts that strengthen accessibility and intergovernmental support with community partners.

Governor JB Pritzker joined local leaders and community partners to celebrate the project, which will feature accessible playground equipment and welcoming spaces designed to bring children of all abilities together.

Student registration for Champaign Schools closes in just 9 days on May 29. No appointment is necessary to attend the upcoming in-person registration events at Mellon (703 S New St).

Returning families can use the ParentVUE portal. Visit www.champaignschools.org for more info.

We wish you a meaningful and memorable Memorial Day. Unit 4 schools and administrative buildings will be closed

Today, we celebrated Garden Hills and its staff's culture of giving! During Unit 4's United Way of Champaign County annual giving campaign, Garden Hills organized its building and recruited the most individual donors to the United Way. Their reward was a pizza party for their staff. Thank you to our United Way donors, volunteers, and leaders who helped make this year's campaign a resounding success!

Congratulations to the Charger Choir and Expressions on an incredible showing at the Music in the Parks Festival!

Both the Choir and Expressions earned a SUPERIOR ranking, marking the first distinction earned by Centennial's Choir. Expressions brought home 1st place and the Overall Grand Champion trophy for the third straight year, while the combined choir earned 2nd place honors.

Special congratulations to Theresa Hege and Rubye Landry for receiving Outstanding Soloist honors for their duet, and to Aniyah Robicheaux, Erika Mokaphan, James Champion, and Natalie Yakoub for earning the Outstanding Student Accompanist Award with their string quartet performance.

We are so proud of our students, staff, and the continued success of this amazing program!

Congratulations to the Unit 4 Schools archery teams on their performances at the 2026 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Eastern National 3-D and Bullseye Tournaments!

In the NASP Bullseye Tournament, Central High School’s Team #1 delivered an exceptional performance, finishing 3rd out of 262 teams. Central’s Team #2 also earned a strong top-50 finish, placing 50th overall. Centennial High School’s Team #1 finished 10th out of 262 teams, while Team #2 placed 164th.

Unit 4 middle schools also had an outstanding showing at the national level. Franklin STEAM Academy placed in the top 20 percentile at 49th (out of 249 teams). Jefferson Middle School finished 117th, and Edison Middle School placed 130th in the bullseye competition.

At the NASP 3-D Tournament, Centennial High School’s Team #1 earned an impressive 9th place finish out of 225 high school teams. Central High School’s Team #1 placed 16th out of 225 teams. Centennial’s Team #2 also competed in the tournament.

We applaud the hard work, focus, and dedication of our student archers and coaches. Thank you for representing our schools and community with pride on the national stage!

ICYMI: Franklin Open House tonight!

We want your voice in shaping the future of Unit 4 middle schools! Join us at an upcoming open house to review and share feedback on Middle School Facilities Planning. We’re exploring several options to support student learning, and your input will help guide the way forward.

Plans for Franklin, Jefferson, IPA, and Garden Hills will be available at each event. Come take a look, ask questions, and be part of the conversation! Each open house will be the same presentation so community members only need to attend one session.

AVID Career Day at Robeson gave students a chance to explore a wide range of careers and hear directly from local community leaders and professionals! From police officers and scientists to bankers, architects, lawyers, and even the mayors of Champaign and Urbana, students learned about the many paths available to them and the importance of following their passions. Thank you to all of our guest speakers for inspiring the next generation!

ICYMI: IPA Open House tonight!

We want your voice in shaping the future of Unit 4 middle schools! Join us at an upcoming open house to review and share feedback on Middle School Facilities Planning. We’re exploring several options to support student learning, and your input will help guide the way forward.

Plans for Franklin, Jefferson, IPA, and Garden Hills will be available at each event. Come take a look, ask questions, and be part of the conversation! Each open house will be the same presentation so community members only need to attend one session.

Over the past two weeks, our students have had an incredible showing in Special Olympics competitions, and we are proud to celebrate their accomplishments. Edison Middle School Functional Life Skills students competed in the Special Olympics Track and Field Tournament after weeks of training in running events, mini javelin, and shot put. Congratulations to Jacob Jones (Centennial), second torch runner and gold medalist, Markeith Taylor, a double gold medal winner, Mateo Martin, a double gold medal winner, Arianna Williams, a double gold medal winner, and Laila Walters, a gold medalist. These students have advanced to the State Summer Games!

At Regional Soccer Skills, Rory Gordon (Franklin Middle School) earned gold medals and qualified for the Special Olympics Summer Games and State Tournament in Bloomington! Maxwell Morgan (Franklin Middle School) also earned a bronze medal.

At Regional Gymnastics, Maxwell Morgan (Franklin Middle School), Laila Walters (Edison Middle School), Rory Gordon (Franklin Middle School), and Hazel Rempe Malekin (Central High School) each earned gold medals and qualified for the State Tournament.

Unit 4's Multilingual Language (MLL) Department held a celebratory end-of-the-school-year picnic. Nearly 300 MLL students and their families joined us for food, games, and fun. Families enjoyed a free meal, and students were treated to activities and face paintings from our high school volunteers. Thanks to all who made this a huge success!

Today, we are celebrating May 6, 2026, Ivy Grant Day! At Jefferson Middle School, Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen presented a special proclamation declaring May 6, 2026, as Ivy Grant Day in Champaign.

Ivy Grant is a multi-sport athlete, a state champion wrestler and active in her community. Most recently, she won the 2026 Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation state championship with a 15-second pin in the final match.

We are proud to celebrate Ivy’s achievements and grateful to Mayor Feinen and the City of Champaign for recognizing this accomplished Jefferson Jaguar. Congratulations, Ivy, on this well-deserved honor.

Happy School Nurse Day! Today, we recognize the compassionate, skilled professionals who care for our students’ health and well-being every day. Thank you to all Unit 4 school nurses for the vital role you play in keeping our school communities safe and healthy!