Education
UPDATE: Champaign Unit 4 Schools approves Geovanny Ponce as next superintendent
Geovanny Ponce is a top administrator in Fairfax County Public Schools. He grew up in Honduras and has a doctorate in education from Texas A&M University.
Decatur Public Schools looking for ways to turn around ‘bleak’ decline in student population
A demographer reported to the District 61 school board Tuesday that it is facing one of the toughest environments for growth he has ever seen.
Many challenges ahead as Illinois unifies early childhood programs, report finds
Come July, the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood will be fully responsible for the state programs that offer home visiting, early intervention, subsidized day care and preschool.
Meet the women starting a ‘Promise Zone’ at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy
A group of women want to help Champaign Unit 4 School District keep its promises to Black children.
Illinois higher education board seeks 4.6% budget increase for next fiscal year
The request comes as Pritzker announces cuts to current year’s budget
Man makes big leap from University of Illinois college-in-prison program to working towards U of I degree
Pierce spent over 20 years in prison. While inside Danville Correctional Center, he took college courses through U of I’s Education Justice Project.
Tuition is going up for incoming University of Illinois undergrads
Tuition for incoming, in-state students will increase by 2%. It will increase more for out-of-state and international students.
State education board OKs $10.9B budget request
The Illinois State Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve a budget request for the upcoming fiscal year that calls for only a minimal increase in K-12 education spending, a reflection of the state’s tightening fiscal condition.
Tim Killeen to step down as University of Illinois System president in 2027
University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen announced on Thursday that he will leave his role at the end of his current contract in June 2027.
Juvenile suspect arrested after allegedly making threat to Danville school
The suspect was charged for two counts of Disorderly Conduct and Making a Terroristic Threat.
Urbana school administrators figuring out how to utilize AI in classrooms
Students are already using AI. Urbana District 116 wants to teach them to use it responsibly with tools that respect student data privacy.
Lawsuits challenge Trump administration’s termination of grants for Illinois schools
If an injunction is not granted, dozens of schools across the state will lose access to extra support like after-school programs, food pantries and mental health services in January.