USD116 BOE Update: April 1, 2025

No one turned in petitions to run in the election for the Sub-District 1 or Sub-District 6 Board of Education seats. The district opened applications in anticipation of those vacancies and received one applicant for Sub-District 1 and no applicants for Sub-District 6. The Board has 45 days after the election to fill the seat before the Regional Superintendent can appoint someone.

The Board decided to reopen applications for Sub-District 6 until April 21.

The lone applicant for Sub-District 1 will be seated in May -- as long as the election is certified.

Urbana has a Student Resource Officer at both UHS and UMS. The SRO at UMS will also serve at the Sixth Grade Center next year. SROs are trained to work with students and intervene only in specific high-threat situations. They are not responsible for student discipline. The SROs also serve as liaisons between the Urbana Police Department and the schools to inform the district of safety concerns and incidents happening after hours and on weekends.

SRO duties include, but are not limited to:

• Driver's Ed -- Distracted Driving Class and Business Law Class
• Member of School Threat Assessment Teams
• Member of District Crisis Committee and School Crisis Teams
• Resource for students navigating the court system and legal questions

The SRO report included a breakdown of incidents at UMS and UHS that led to police reports, items confiscated, student interactions, student transports, etc.

View SRO Program Review Presentation

The SRO intergovernmental agreement is up for renewal. The 3-year agreement is between USD, the City of Urbana and the Urbana Police Department.

Approval of the SRO agreement will be requested during the April 15 meeting.

The School District will pay 75 percent of the cost for two SROs and the City will pay the other 25 percent for the terms of this agreement. The School District costs for Year One are $410,914. 53. Costs for subsequent years will be calculated on the same basis as for Year One.

The Board was presented an updated 2026-27 school calendar.

• Election Day is included in this calendar
• During election years, the committee recommended having either Yom Kippur or Eid as a Spring Holiday, but not both.

Approval will be requested during the April 15, 2025 Board of Education Meeting.

View the proposed 2026-27 school calendar

The Board was given a presentation on Lifting Up. Lifting Up is a framework for communicating with schools when a USD student has been exposed to trauma in the community. "Handle With Care" automates communication from first responders to schools.

How it works:

Lifting Up receives a limited data export from police and sheriff's office (incident date/ID/type and location) for incidents related to adverse childhood experiences. The school district provides basic data such as demographics, school, grade and addresses. If an incident were to occur at a student's home, an email would be sent to the school principal and another designated staff member. This allows district staff to know which students may need extra support on a specific day.

Next year would be a pilot for the program to make sure the district can properly manage the program. The United Way and the Community Coalition have agreed to cover the cost of the first year.

Q: How do you ensure a correct match between the police report and the student in our database?

A: That is done through address matching.

View the presentation

The Board will be asked to take action on this program at a future meeting.

The district is moving to the "I Love You Guys" crisis response and reunification protocols. This is used by schools and organizations nationwide. It is a simple, clear, and action-based approach to emergency response. This is very similar to what the district has been using, and it works well with our CrisisGo communication system.

View the presentation about the Response and Reunification Protocols

Security enhancements at Urbana Middle School/Sixth Grade Center

• Next year, there will be metal detectors at the two main entry doors at UMS
• Students will have to use clear backpacks, this will help to speed up the bag searches
• Screening at Door 1 will be for visitors only (unless a student arrives late)
• Students will also have to use clear backpacks at the Sixth Grade Center, but there will not be metal detectors at this time

These changes will enhance security and reduce congestion, while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment.

Dr. Ivory-Tatum's Superintendent Report: April 1, 2025

Highlights:

• Kindergarten registration is April 10
• Broadway on Vine presents Moana Jr. on April 10 at 6:30 p.m. and April 12 at 3 p.m. at UMS