The information on this page will help you prepare for the 2023-24 school year and will be updated to help answer questions you may have about schedules, school supplies, transportation, fees, school meals, and more.
First Day of School
The 2023-24 school year in USD116 begins in August.
August 16 the following grades attend school:
- Half of kindergarten classes*
- Grades 1-5
- 6th grade
- 9th grade
- (UECS families have conferences/home visits)
- The second half of kindergarten classes*
- Grades 1-12
- UECS families have conferences/home visits
- All students, UECS-12th grade, attend school
As your family starts to make plans for the next school year, please reference the school calendar here.
Extended absences and/or vacations during the school year are discouraged. In order to have academic success, it’s important that your child is in school and on time for class every day
Welcome Back Night
Each school is hosting a Back to School/Open House Night. Please see the schedule below.
Urbana Early Childhood School
- August 17
- 5-6 p.m. (On the playground)
Dr. Williams
- August 14
- 5-6 p.m.
King
- August 15
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Leal
- August 15
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Thomas Paine
- August 15
- 5-6 p.m.
- PTA Ice Cream Social 5-6:30 p.m.
Yankee Ridge
- August 15
- 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Urbana Middle School: Open House
- August 24
- 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Urbana High School: Open House
- August 30
- 6-7 p.m.
School Supplies
You can find school supply lists for elementary schools and Urbana Middle school here: School Supply Lists
Students at Urbana High School will learn about materials needed the first week of school. It may be helpful to bring a notebook and something to write with on the first day.
Registration
Have you completed registration for your student(s)? You should have received an email confirmation once your registration was successful.
Contact your student’s school to arrange to submit any necessary documents or if you have questions about registration. Find more information at: https://usd116.org/registration/
It’s also important for us to share some information about the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which is a federal law intended to remove barriers to learning for homeless students.
The McKinney-Vento act allows homeless students to enroll in school and receive transportation without delay.
Urbana School District #116 is committed to educating students who meet the guidelines under McKinney-Vento. If you have questions or need assistance regarding homelessness, please contact the District’s Homeless Liaison, Kimberly Norton at (217) 384-3652 or knorton@usd116.org
Health Requirements
The State of Illinois requires a physical, signed by a physician, and containing all required immunizations for every child attending Kindergarten, 6th and 9th grade. YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO START SCHOOL WITHOUT THE COMPLETED HEALTH CERTIFICATE. Students in 12th grade have an immunization requirement.
Students entering kindergarten, 2nd, 6th and 9th grades must have a dental exam and students entering kindergarten need a vision exam.
Bus Routes
All USD116 families that are eligible for transportation and plan to have their student(s) ride a bus to or from school will be required to register for transportation.
- Families are only eligible for transportation if they live 1.5 miles or more from their home school.
- Please work with your school building to see if you are eligible for transportation.
- The bus garage will communicate with families at least one week prior to the start of school regarding route information and pick-up/drop-off times and locations.
In continued partnership with our transportation provider, First Student, USD116 families now have access to FirstView®, a bus tracking and parent communications app for your smartphone or desktop.
Find more information about the FirstView® App here: Transportation
School Meals
USD116 is pleased to continue to participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). ALL USD #116 schools participate in the CEP allowing us to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches each day at no charge to ALL students.
Urbana School District has a new food service provider starting with the 2023-24 school year: Quest Food Management Services. Looking for food menus? You can view and download all menus by using our new FDMealPlanner app! Simply download the FDMealPlanner app and you can view your menus anywhere, anytime!
Don’t want to install the app? You can visit the FDMealPlanner’s website to look up menus:
- Visit: https://www.fdmealplanner.com/
- Type your school name
- Choose the menu you wish to see.
Calendar
Visit https://usd116.org/calendar/ to find the official calendar for the 2023-24 school year, including important dates like fall and winter break, school holidays, and the last day of school.
Handbooks
You can find the USD116 Policy and Procedures Manual and School Handbooks here: https://usd116.org/about/policy-procedures/
Please be sure to review these with your student before the beginning of the school year. These outline the expectations and guidelines for a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Superintendent Updates
The Superintendent of Urbana School District 116, Dr. Ivory-Tatum, sends regular communication to families throughout the year. These updates are sent to all families via email and are also available on our website here: Superintendent Updates. We encourage families to read these messages, as they contain important information about the District.