Superintendent Update: 8/12/22

from USD116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum

SuperintendentUpdate: 8/12/22from USD116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum

To view past superintendent updates, please visit District Updates on our website.

Greetings Urbana Family and Friends,

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! Next week is the first week of school! If you are new to our schools, I am pleased to welcome you to this fantastic school district. For those of you returning, welcome back! This weekend, district administrators will be at C-U Days on Saturday, August 13th, from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Families who are still in need of school supplies, please stop by our table to get a drawstring bag with supplies for each USD116 student in the family. We also hope you are looking forward to meeting and greeting one another and school staff at the Back to School events planned at most schools next week. The District looks forward to keeping you updated and connected to events and initiatives throughout the school year.


Here is the first week of school calendar for student attendance:


  • On August 16th and 17th, staff are planning and preparing for the new year during Institute Days.

  • On Thursday, August 18th, we welcome students in person in grades 1-6, 9th, and half of kindergarten.

  • On Friday, August 19th, we will see students in grades 1-12, UECS, and the other half of kindergarten.

  • On Monday, August 22, all students in grades Prek-12 will be in attendance.


If you have questions regarding the school calendar or registering your students, please contact your school’s main office. Whether you are new to the District or returning, I am excited about the opportunity for us to learn and grow together in USD116’s Outstanding Schools in an Outstanding Community!


In anticipation of a great school year,

Dr. Ivory-Tatum

Champaign-Urbana Days

Urbana School District will be at Champaign-Urbana Days in Douglas Park on Aug. 13 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. We will be handing out school supplies! Hope to see U there!

Cunningham Township Back To School Event

Back-2-School Nights

Join your school for its Back-to-School/Meet & Greet night. The dates and times for these events are listed in the flyer below.

COVID Testing

Urbana School District #116 is offering the following COVID testing opportunities for students and staff during the 2022-23 school year:


  • Binax testing will be available for symptomatic students and staff at school.


  • Starting Aug. 8, drive-thru testing for students and staff will be available on:
    • Mondays from 7-8 a.m. at Urbana Middle School in front of door #6 on Michigan St.
    • Tuesdays/Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Yankee Ridge Elementary.


  • The District will evaluate the need for additional testing for indoor sports, extracurricular activities, returns from breaks, or in the event of an outbreak.

New This Year: Bus Tracking App

In continued partnership with our transportation provider First Student, USD116 is

launch the FirstView App this school year. FirstView is a bus tracking and parent communications app for your smartphone or desktop. Set up the app to track your student’s bus in real-time and receive alerts prior to arrival.


We successfully piloted the FirstView app at UMS and Thomas Paine last spring and are excited to expand it districtwide..


Once bus assignments have been finalized, you will receive information from your school on how to set up the app. We are excited about the timely access to bus information that the FirstView app will bring!