Champaign Unit 4 Continues Discussion on Replacing Central HS

The Champaign Unit 4 School District is mulling over the idea of building a new school to relieve overcrowding at Central High School.

The school board held the fourth public meeting Monday night to discuss the project, this time including board members of the Champaign City Council and the city's park district.

Seven sites are being considered to house the new school. Four of the sites are near the north end of Prospect Avenue, two are west of First Street and south of Windsor Avenue, and one is west of I-57 in Northwest Champaign. Each location is roughly 60- to 80-acres. Lynn Stuckey, a parent of a Central High School student, said wherever a new school is built, location is key.

"Frankly, I'm not in favor of a new high school given the locations that I've seen," Stuckey said. "I live four blocks away from Central High School. I like the location, and I think we can do more to keep our school in the middle of our community."

School board President Dave Tomlinson said the seven sites are being reviewed based on population growth and proximity to public transportation. Tomlinson added that the board is still gathering input from the community, and has not made a final decision on how it will proceed.

"We need more people to give us input...because we're not going to make the best decision we can unless we have the right input," Tomlinson said.

If a new school is built, voters would have to approve a tax referendum of at least $50 million to begin construction.

Feedback about the project can be e-mailed to CentralComments@ChampaignSchools.org