Latest EDUCATION News From The Illinois Newsroom Team
Construction begins on Illinois school renamed after local Tuskegee Airman
Born in 1919 in Decatur, Ellsworth Dansby, Jr., was fascinated by planes. He first flew alone at age 12 – without ever previously riding in a plane. He used knowledge from books he had read to land his solo flight safely.

“This is not an isolated incident.” Decatur school closure exposes gaps in state-required inspections
Decatur Public Schools District 61 only found out it had problems in the two century-old buildings when they brought in a structural engineer in May to look at ceiling leaks and other issues raised by teachers.

Decatur Public Schools increases literacy and school attendance with extended day program
The pre-K through 8 students in the DPS 61 Extended Day program had higher attendance, higher reading scores and fewer disciplinary issues than their peers, according to the district.

Illinois experts testify against book bans before Congress
WASHINGTON – Book bans have been growing in many states and some Illinois experts on the subject brought the matter before the US Congress. US

The newest Decatur Public Schools teaching assistants and security guards make about $19 an hour. Tuesday, they rallied for higher wages.
Teaching assistants and security officers rallied Tuesday in front of the Decatur Public Schools Board of Education meeting.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth visits Champaign in quest to require school bus seat belts
Sen. Tammy Duckworth has been introducing her School Bus Safety Act since 2018. It would require all school buses be equipped with seat belts, automatic breaks and other safety features.

Education secretary praises Springfield after-school program during visit
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona met Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state school Superintendent Tony Sanders Wednesday at Fairview Elementary School to promote the Education Department’s “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” agenda.

COVID-19 on the rise at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
Students and staff can still access free, take-home, COVID tests on campus. Two weeks in, those tests are in high demand.

Update: Emergency ends at U of I Engineering Sciences building after hazardous materials release
This is a developing story. It will be updated as new details emerge. 6:40 p.m. Update University of Illinois officials have sounded the “All-Clear” at

Mexico, Illinois research exchange blooms at the University of Illinois
“We have common problems, so we need to find common solutions. And there are very, very talented researchers and scholars,” Elvira de Mejia said.

Some Central Illinois schools will close Friday due to heat
URBANA – Due to forecasted high temperatures on Friday, August 25, some central Illinois schools will be closed. The National Weather Service in Lincoln has

Champaign, Danville and Urbana Schools close Thursday due to heat
URBANA – Due to forecasted high temperatures on August 24, some central Illinois school districts will be closed. The National Weather Service in Lincoln has