URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — It’s getting closer and closer to the start of school, and many of you have been wondering how it will work. For USD 116, it could be a whole lot different from last year.
The district posted their preliminary plan on Facebook. The big takeaway: kids could be in buildings two days a week. It’s up to each school district to create some kind of plan. For Urbana, that may mean two student groups: A and B. Each would come to school for two days a week. On Wednesdays, all students would do remote learning. District leaders say this new plan will help them space students out.
Champaign is also still working on their plan. They haven’t released a preliminary one yet, but one teacher took to Facebook with concerns about some of the proposals.

Diana Joy is a first grade teacher at Garden Hills Elementary School. She says she’s most concerned by the plans for younger kids because of the requirement to wear a mask all day and to not get too close to other kids.
She said, “I am spinning with questions and major concerns for our community’s young people. Our district has had 5 months to be planning and preparing for this. Their lack of thoughtfulness and depth to their plan is astounding.”
Urbana district leaders are still trying to decide if they will let some families opt out, meaning they could decide to take classes completely remotely. For a look at USD 116’s proposed plan, click here.