Kindergarten Registration Now Open for Champaign Unit 4 Schools

HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN IN CHAMPAIGN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Heads up, Champaign and Savoy families: If you have a child entering kindergarten in the Champaign Unit 4 School District in the 2023-24 school year, the school assignment process to determine where your child will go to school starts now — and we’re here to help.

Here’s the good news: for the first time since 2020, in-person information sessions and school tours will be available, allowing families to make more educated decisions about their preferences.

KEY REGISTRATION INFO:

• The registration period begins April 25, 2023 and ends June 23, 2023.
• The district was able to extend the timeframe thanks to the elimination of the balanced calendar. For the first time in decades, all Unit 4 school campuses will observe the same calendar in 2023-24.
• For the first time since 2020, there will be an in-person information session for families to learn about kindergarten student assignment process. It will take place on Tuesday, May 2 at 6:00 pm at Garden Hills Academy. Transportation is available.
• Tours will be available on two weekday evenings in May: Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 17.
• The district will be doing in-person “mobile” events to help parents register, with dates scheduled in locations across the city including the Champaign Public Library, Martens Center and Garden Hills (among other locations). The flyer for these events is available on the Unit 4 Student Assignment Process website.
• The registration process takes place online; however there will be in-person options for registration as well at the Mellon Center. See more info about in-person options.
• For the first time in many years, the district has published data from the 2022-23 kindergarten assignment process. This information allows families to evaluate their chances of getting into a school especially without proximity or other factors.

NOW, THE DETAILS: 

• HOW DO I REGISTER MY STUDENT?
  Unlike a traditional neighborhood school model, families in Unit 4 are able to request an elementary school regardless of their address. There are many steps, but to simplify the process:
  • Families register using an online system that asks them to rank the 12 schools for their child; many families rank only their top 5. In 2023, registration must be done by June 23. The deadline is to make sure your child is in the system for the official assignment process.
  • Using a formula that includes a variety of factors (more on that below), an algorithm processes the applications and assigns the child a school.
  • Families are notified of their child’s school assignment about two weeks after the registration window closes.
  • If you are reading this after June 23, don’t worry, your child will still go to school! Students who register after the assignment process period will be assigned to schools according to seat availability. Contact the district for more information.
• WHY DOES CHAMPAIGN UNIT 4 ASSIGN CHILDREN TO KINDERGARTEN USING THIS PROCESS?
  The history behind why Champaign Unit 4 moved away from the neighborhood schools model is a long and complicated one, but its goal is to foster socioeconomic diversity across the 12 elementary buildings. The kindergarten assignment process provides the best opportunity for families to get their children the school placement they desire. In recent years, the data has been about the same: 86 percent of families receive their first choice while roughly 91 percent receive one of their top five choices, out of 700+ families.
• HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH SCHOOL IS RIGHT FOR OUR FAMILY?
  There are many variables to consider when finding the right school fit for your family (and notice I say family, not just the child). Before you even start touring the schools, consider these different options and opportunities:
  • Start Time: Do you want a school that starts in a certain window, either early (7:45 am) or later (8:40)? Starting in 2023-24, the district elementary campuses will have three different bell schedules available, and will also have a longer day than in the past. During negotiations with the teachers’ union in 2022, the district increased the length of the student instructional day to 6 hours and 50 minutes for all K-5 and PK-8 campuses beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
    
  • Curriculum: Are you interested in specific learning opportunities? There are several specialized curriculum options available, but only at certain schools.
    • Dual language programs: The district offers two dual language programs: French at Stratton Arts Academy, or Spanish at International Prep Academy.
    • STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is a special focus at Booker T. Washington.
    • Kenwood offers computer programming and computational thinking skills starting in kindergarten.
    • Be sure to check out the magnet programs at Garden Hills Academy (math and engineering) and Stratton Academy of the Arts.
  • Special Needs: Does your child have special needs? All Unit 4 elementary schools serve children with special needs, but some offer more specialization than others.
    • For example, Carrie Busey Elementary has specific programming for children with hearing deficits.
    • Contact the district’s special education team if you have questions.
  • Location, Location, Location. Do you want a school close to home? Perhaps you want one close to a caregiver or other family member. Or maybe one that is closer to your workplace.
    • You don’t have to choose the school closest to you.
    • We discuss the idea of proximity schools below in more depth, and how that impacts the assignment process.
    • Whatever your preference, one of the best things about the kindergarten registration process is this: even if you move homes within the district, your child will not have to switch elementary or middle schools due to that move.
    • NEW! Starting in 2023-24, families who are eligible for yellow bus transportation and elect NOT to use it are eligible to be reimbursed for transportation costs.
  • Building Facility. The elementary school facilities have been renovated, updated, or have been built in the last 25 years. Some highlights:
    • Dr. Howard debuted a brand new building in the fall of 2020.
    • International Prep Academy’s new building opened in fall 2023, a significant project making it the school the district’s first K-8 campus.
  • Middle School Placement. In Champaign Unit 4, where a child attends elementary school dictates where that child will attend middle school. If this matters to you, you should understand which schools feed where. (In contrast, Unit 4’s two high schools are districted by geographic location of where a student resides.)
    • The district made changes to the middle school feeders schedule, which will start with students promoted this coming fall. Here is the new feeder system:
      • Edison Middle School: Bottenfield, Booker T. Washington, and Westview
      • Franklin Middle School: Barkstall, Carrie Busey, and Dr. Howard
      • Jefferson Middle School: Robeson, Stratton, Kenwood, and South Side
      • Garden Hills will add middle grades starting in 2023-24
      • IPA is a K-8 campus.
  • Uniforms. Here are the schools that require uniforms:
    • Kenwood
    • Barkstall
    • International Prep
  • Bondville families do not participate in this process. All Bondville students are assigned to Kenwood.

• HOW DO WE GET TO KNOW THE SCHOOLS?
   Here are a few ways to “take the temperature” of a school and do your research.
  • Go to the information session on May 2. 
  • School tours: Take advantage of the school tours and open houses offered by the district being offered May 9 and May 17. Can’t get into the school then? Call and ask for a tour at another time (the worst that happens – they say no.)
  • Spotlight videos are available on the district website.
  • School websites: Each school has its own page on the Unit 4 website, with basic information about things like dress codes, parent resources and more.
  • Ask your network: Network to meet people connected to the schools — parents, teachers, aides, building staff, specialists, volunteers. How to network? Ask your friends, neighbors or colleagues who have kids in the schools or know parents of kids in certain schools.
  • Talk to students: Probably most overlooked in the process: talk to kids who attend those schools!
  • Attend a PTA meeting. Parental involvement important to you? Attend a school PTA (Parent Teacher Association) meeting. Call the school to get the dates; some PTAs are more active than others. Most of these remain virtual for now.

    

• HOW DO WE GUARANTEE THE SCHOOL WE WANT?
  You can’t. Really, you can’t. However you can maximize your chances by gaining a more thorough understanding of the process.
  • Understand your proximity option (or options) as you have the best chance to get that school. Every family gets ONE proximity priority school, which is either within 1.5 miles from your house or the closest one as determined by the district.
    • Your student will only get the proximity school “advantage” if you place that school FIRST on your list.
    • A common mistake: putting the proximity school somewhere lower on your list and thinking that the proximity designation will matter to your child’s assignment.
    •  While some families might live within the 1.5 mile proximity zone for multiple schools, they can only elect one as a proximity priority school.
    • How do you know what your proximity school is? You can check your proximity area online with this mapping tool on the Unit 4 website.
  • Some schools simply have more seats than others.
    • South Side is the smallest elementary school, with only two elementary classrooms per grade (aka two “strands”).
    • Robeson is the largest, with four elementary classrooms per grade (although this can change from year to year).
    • Some schools have higher populations of children in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs or have specific programs for children with special needs.
  • Sibling preference is pretty much guaranteed when families register within the timeframe.
    • If you have a child in a school currently who WILL RETURN the following year, that child’s kindergarten sibling is guaranteed the same placement, as long as you register and put the child into the assignment process.
    • This is not automatic; families must still register.
  • Socioeconomic status (SES, which includes income and educational attainment) is factored into the equation. If your family qualifies, your child may get preference at some schools. The district assesses SES via questions asked on the registration form.
  • As mentioned earlier, families are once again able to look at data regarding what schools were “overchosen” and “underchosen.“ The data from last year’s assignment process is posted on the website. It can be helpful when making decisions on which schools to rank.

• IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE TO REGISTERING EARLY?
  Parents can register a child for the kindergarten choice process between April 25 and June 23, 2023; but early registration provides no advantage to the child’s placement.
  • The window of time is purely for convenience sake and there is no correlation between WHEN someone registers a child (as long as it is before the deadline) and one’s placement.
• IF WE HAVE A YOUNGER SIBLING HEADED FOR KINDERGARTEN, DO I NEED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AGAIN?
  The short answer is, YES.
  • All families with an incoming kindergartner should register during the assignment period to ensure that child gets a seat in their desired school, and siblings are no different.
  • Oh, and one more tip: families can always choose to request a different school for the sibling; the district does not assume your preference.
  • Preference is given to siblings or extended family members living in the same household with the same address.
  • There is no “legacy” or “inheritance” from a sibling who has moved on to sixth grade.
• WHAT IF WE DON’T GET OUR FIRST CHOICE?
  • There is no wait list option at this time.

UNIT 4 SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION IN A NUTSHELL

REGISTRATION DATES: April 25- June 23

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Residents of Champaign, Bondville and Savoy; Students must turn 5 on or before Sept. 1, 2023, to be eligible to enter kindergarten.

DOCUMENTATION: Families must have proof of residency in addition to a child’s certified birth certificate or passport.

Demonstrate proof of residency with two of the following documents:

• Apartment/house lease or home purchase agreement
• Mortgage documents/property deed payment record/building permit (60 days occupancy)
• Voter’s registration card
• Current driver’s license
• Utility bill (current month)

TOURS: Visit any of the 12 elementary schools on Tuesday, May 9 from 5 to 7 pm or Wednesday, May 17 from 5 to 7 pm for a guided 30-minute tour.

INFO SESSION: Attend the Kindergarten Registration Information Session on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Garden Hills Academy, 2001 Garden Hills Drive, Champaign.

MOBILE REGISTRATION: Need help? Want to talk to a human? The district has scheduled several “mobile” registration events across the city. Find more info here.

ASSIGNMENT NOTIFICATION: Due to the new timeline, it is unclear when families will receive notification about their child’s kindergarten assignment and how that information will be delivered (last year we were told families would be notified by email; they received letters in the mail instead.) We have sent in this question to the district, and will update accordingly.

Laura Weisskopf Bleill is the mom-in-chief of chambanamoms.com and an amateur kindergarten registration expert. She served for many years as a parent representative on the Unit 4 Schools of Choice committee.