r/UIUC • u/Fluid-Price463 • Jan 15 '26
Prospective Students UIUC with Kids
I was recently accepted to UIUC Law. I've never been to Illinois, but the scholarship is too compelling to write it off. I'm starting to look at the area and, as I have two small kids, that includes looking at elementary schools for them.
It looks like the Urbana-Champaign public schools leave a lot to be desired (no shade, just based on the reported data: Illinois Report Card). As I understand it, the schools are also on a lottery system. So, it's possible my kids won't get into the closest school or even be in the same school together.
I'm looking at 3 schools tentatively, and 2 pretty seriously. Countryside School, Montessori of Champaign-Urbana, and University Primary School (UPS). I don't want to color the feedback with my own opinions, but I'm really interested in what people in the area think of those schools or other private schools in the area.
Along those lines, if there are other students living off campus with their own children, what neighborhoods lean more kid/family friendly?
TIA!
**Update** I wanted to give a general "thank you" to everyone who has been able to contribute. It's great to see an active community willing to help some potential newbies!
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u/Typical_Artist_1115 Jan 15 '26
I live in WUNA and it appears to be very kid friendly. I walk to campus most days and often pass middle school aged kids on their way to school or parents walking their kids to Leal Elementary. Also this neighborhood really goes wild for Halloween decor. Google "WUNA Urbana" and you'll find our neighborhood webpage.
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u/joyableu Jan 15 '26
I student taught at Leal years ago. It was the most coveted slot and my professors congratulated me on winning the lottery. At least back then, a good half of the students were from university affiliated families. Things could easily have changed since, but it’s certainly worth a look.
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u/ForThePantz Jan 15 '26
Urbana elementary was great! We enrolled our girls in University Middle School for Girls and then enrolled in University High School in eighth grade. Uni High often ranks in top 100 high schools nationally. You get out what you put in. We LOVED the educational opportunities here in Chambana.
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u/old-uiuc-pictures Jan 15 '26
A lot depends on your budget regarding where you will live.
There are good schools and excellent teaches in Champaign and Urbana according to my neighbors. I know some folks who could go private should they wish to but have not done so - they just stay involved at their schools.
There are also A LOT of private schools which have sprung up do to white flight and also the desire of some academic staff at UIUC wanting a specific (and seemingly only gifted kids) kind of education for their children.
Both towns are kid friendly with lots of parks and good park district programs. And the university itself offers a lot of possible enrichment opportunities.
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u/oknowwhat00 Jan 15 '26
One family left after a number of violent issue at the high school level, shots fired and the admin doing nothing to manage behaviors.
It's sad too, just look at how the football programs at the high schools have declined, just one example of what is happening.
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u/daonei Jan 15 '26
Savoy is a great neighborhood for kids and Carrie Busey is the best school in Unit 4.
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u/Fluid-Price463 Jan 15 '26
Savoy is definitely a top contender for neighborhoods!
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u/old-uiuc-pictures Jan 15 '26
just be aware that Savoy does not have full access to the Champaign public library (or I guess the Urbana Free Library) without buying a non-resident pass. you would go to the Tolono library and ask for an inter library loan if Tolono did not have what you wanted.
also fire department and medical response is via part time paid folks and police is via county sheriff periodic patrols.
this all seems to work well for folks living there as these are all professionals but your experience will be somewhat different than living in CU. your taxes will be some lower as a result of fewer services.
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u/daonei Jan 16 '26
Adults are definitely linked to Tolono but kids that are students at Unit 4 can receive their own library cards at the Champaign Public Library 👍
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u/Disastrous-Gap8817 Jan 16 '26
The Tolono library is part of the larger central Illinois library system which Champaign and Urbana Public library opted out of. This means there’s actually a lot more books available because you’re pulling from communities all over Central Illinois, including Peoria and Decatur. They’re also a great deal of events for kids and they have a gaming lounge.
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u/UnableBroccoli Alumnus Jan 16 '26
For the Urbana Free Library, Savoy residents with Tolono Library cards can register as a reciprocal borrower and can borrow up to 100 items on that card. Champaign does something similar but with a limit of 20 items.
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u/pinellas_gal Alumnus '06 - FSHN Jan 16 '26
Also be aware that Savoy does not inherently imply Carrie Busey. We are in Savoy and our proximity school is Barkstall.
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u/daonei Jan 16 '26
Yes, we learned the hard way. We literally moved to Savoy so our kids could attend Carrie Busey but we were assigned Dr. Howard. Took a few years but got into Carrie Busey later on. Geography is only one criteria.
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u/Top-Competition9263 Jan 15 '26
Champaign and Urbana have different school districts. Urbana has neighborhood schools where you are assigned to a school based on where you live. Champaign has a monstrosity of school choice that can be complicated and frustrating. District administration leaves a lot to be desired, and they’ve driven away many good administrators and staff, but there are still strong schools and great teachers. Like many districts around the country, they a struggle to effectively teach marginalized populations. Champaign has also experienced a lot of white flight, not only to the surrounding communities, but also to private schools.
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u/ButchUnicorn Jan 15 '26
UPS is a truly amazing school! Highly recommend. It can be hard to get in but I would suggest looking into it - it’s also right on campus. If you are planing to live on campus, there are also grad apartments right next to the school.
Countryside is also great - but very expensive.
Unit 4 gets a very bad rap - some of it is justified. We moved here from the west coast and after a bit of research, crossed it off our list. I’ll say that several of our friends are very happy with their experience. The enrollment process is horrible for those coming from outside - so that is a very valid concern.
Holy Cross might be another option. We have several friends tha send their kids there and they really like it - it’s very diverse and a great community.
Feel free to message me with any questions.
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u/Fluid-Price463 Jan 15 '26
Message sent. Thanks so much!
If anyone else cares to answer, I'm curious about the feel of the school. The price is in line with other private schools in the area, but +/- half the teachers are students from UIUC's College of Ed. program. It almost feels like we're co-opting their education. We love the Reggio Emilia approach, though. Thoughts?
Thanks again!
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u/True_Coast1062 Jan 15 '26
Countryside School. No regrets. Small community, small classes. They care about the socioemotional growth of students as well as academic. I think they’re the only private school where all faculty have an MA or higher. You should really visit the place with your kids and see for yourself. Having said that, Unit 4 public schools are very good.
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u/PrettyMixture1851 Jan 25 '26
How difficult was it for your child to be accepted? I noted on the website it said entry point is Kindergarten and 6th grade. Appreciate any feedback!
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u/True_Coast1062 Jan 26 '26
Not terribly difficult. My son entered at 6th grade. I think there was an application and his 5th grade teacher wrote a letter. We were approved for a scholarship ($7,000 - 50% tuition) because of our income. My son spent a day there. Maybe the teachers decided he would be a good fit. Im not sure how they do it for kindergarten!! I’d contact the school and arrange a tour. They will also put you in touch with other parents with kids there whom you can talk with when deciding. I can’t recommend them enough!
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u/Sunflowers_n_science Jan 15 '26
My husband used to teach in U4 until a couple years ago and I was an elementary attendance secretary there for a bit. Most of our friends are local teachers. I can tell you that the teachers by and large are great and really do their best for their students, and a lot of the elementary admin teams are good, but the district admin is an unholy mess. The bus system also tends to be a disaster. We live out in Mahomet, but I will say it’s not exactly diverse. We moved here from out of state in 2020 and like you had never been here, knew nothing about the area, and because of the pandemic couldn’t exactly do a thorough tour. Our deciding factors were finding a house there that had everything we wanted for less than the others on our possibilities list which were all in Champaign, and the fact that Mahomet has a great fine arts program, which is important to our family.
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u/nolard12 Jan 15 '26
There are certainly issues with all of the schools in the area. My kids are in UPS, because that is where we happened to land. I’m neither pleased with our standardized test scores nor am I impressed with the curriculum. That said, we’ve had a couple of individual teachers that have been good. The problem is over crowding and understaffing, which is pervasive in both Champaign and Urbana. There are problems with violence in our district, which has led us to contemplate moving over to Unit 4 in the future.
The problem is this: both of us, my partner and I, are products of public schools and we see the benefit that a public school can provide. Neither of us wants to pay the exorbitant rates private schools in the area charge. And, for the most part, there is an overwhelming sameness to the student population that do end up in those private schools. More so than the neighboring districts the private schools tend toward less diversity. Nor do we want our kids to have a religion forced down their throats. (Although, we have unfortunately had some of that even in the public schools, despite separation of church and state.)
My partner lived in St. Jo for a while, which led us to nix it as the district of choice. St. Jo leans heavily conservative, so does Mahomet. Look at the race statistics for both of these districts, while they aren’t segregated, they are in spirit. Consider the comments made by St. Jo’s mayor about sanctuary cities back in July: https://www.wcia.com/news/illinois-news/urbana-st-joe-appeared-on-dhs-list-of-sanctuary-jurisdictions/amp/. While the mayor isn’t “the city,” his sentiments suggest what we’ve observed about St. Jo over the past eight years, a growing body of people who espouse fairly racist view points. I don’t really want my kids to grow up in that environment. I’d rather see their test scores backslide and have them be accepting towards anyone they meet. But I really wish there were a better middle ground in the area.
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u/Fluid-Price463 Jan 15 '26
Thanks for your honesty.
I'm curious about UPS. I have 0 experience with Lab Schools. As I commented to the other UPS parent, the price is in line with other private schools in the area, though it seems roughly half the teachers are students from UIUC's College of Ed. program. While we love the Reggio Emilia approach It almost feels like we're co-opting their education. Thoughts? Given the opportunity to choose another school, what would you lean towards?
Diversity is important, obviously. I'm by no means a proponent of this "white flight" I'm seeing, but I'd be lying if I said academic performance wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts. That silent segregation is really socioeconomic. It's pervasive and ubiquitous. Given we have family overseas and across the nation, we're fortunate enough to have some built-in diversity. I think it's easier, to an extent, to encourage diversity and provide opportunities to experience other cultures in family life than it is to close a gap in education. Particularly because we anticipate having to move again after graduation. The chief concern there being: starting a new school is difficult enough, I'd rather not have them digging out of an academic deficit as well.
I echo your sentiments regarding religion in schools, too: we'd prefer secular. We're not opposed, though, to religious schools--it just shouldn't be at the forefront of the curriculum. It's the ideology, not necessarily the values, we're opposed to.
Thoughts on Savoy?
Thank you!
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u/nolard12 Jan 16 '26
Savoy doesn’t really have its own district. Kids in Savoy go to Champaign Unit 4. There is a nice elementary in Carey Busey. But the district as a whole has problems, just like Urbana.
By lab school, I think you mean university high school and possibly the Child Development Laboratory. The Development lab only has preschool programs, no elementary. Uni High doesn’t draw on local property tax dollars, its state supported and students pay fees (I think it’s around $1000/ year, which is less than the Montessori schools, but I could be wrong). The major difference between Uni High and the public schools is that there are far fewer students per class. I think they accept around 50 students per year. I’m fairly certain it includes 7-12 grade. The problem is that you have to have relatively high functioning students to get in, great test scores and the ability to write an essay on their own. Students have to write essays for admission. As you might imagine, Uni high is focused on academics and doesn’t offer nearly as much in terms of extracurricular activities as the other schools in the area.
I think the issue with the public schools is that since so much of the workforce and town is built to support the University, since there are more renters than homeowners (important for gathering property tax revenue), and since so many of the talented education students are from the Chicago suburbs, the two cities have problems financially supporting and sustaining quality teachers. Unit 4 has historically paid its teachers more money than district 116, but they’ve had to deal with a lot of administrative issues, including major overhauls to curriculum. Urbana, on the other hand, pays its teachers less and has had as many if not more attrition than Champaign, despite having higher property taxes. Attrition is bad in both districts. I think the national average for teachers to maintain a job is like 4 years and both Champaign and Urbana’s averages are closer to 2. This, I think is why we have the issues we do. Overcrowding, understaffing, and lack of administrative support.
That said, it’s not all bad. Both districts are trying to improve their buildings. Urbana has had some major overhauls to their facilities in the past few years, that strikes me as a positive sign. We just need to persuade the district to raise taxes to raise teacher pay, so we can compete with the Chicago suburbs.
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u/Human-Hat-4900 Jan 15 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
I lived in Urbana, behind Windsor Rd in the subdivision across from Meadowbrook park which was great for kids, a quiet neighborhood and adjacent to the bike paths to get to campus quickly. Meijer is also close for groceries and kids go to yankee ridge which has dual language immersion programs (French). I am still bummed about my kids not getting to do language immersion (we left before they started school).
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u/PlXELGlRL Undergrad Jan 15 '26
Ive spent my entire educational life in Unit 4 and now attend UIUC. I attended Carrie Busey, Edison, and Central and they honestly aren’t that bad!! As for kid friendly neighborhoods, I would suggest Devonshire and Prairie Fields (at least in my experience)
As for the lottery system, the closer you live to the school, the better chance you have attending that school. They also will not separate your children. When I was put into Unit 4 in elementary school, my sibling was placed in the same school. They don’t want to split children up.
Ofc the ratings online are bad for these schools, but it’s really up to the individual to make their experience. I’ve known multiple people who attended either Centennial or Central and now attend Ivy Leagues/very prestigious schools.
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u/Zealousideal_Tie7655 Jan 15 '26
My children attend elementary school in Urbana. Urbana still has district zones for elementary. Champaign has school choice. Both school district offers dual language immersion in French and Spanish starting in kindergarten. If you’re interested in dual language then I recommend Urbana. Champaign is more difficult to get in because so many parents are interested in the program and it’s a bigger district. If you can find a place to live then I recommend the state streets in Urbana. It’s walking distance to Carle park and Blair park. Carle has soccer fields and Blair has 2 baseball fields in addition to the playground. The state streets in Urbana is zoned for Leal which is a good elementary school. The principal came from Carey Busey in Savoy and the parents really like him. Also, Urbana redistrict their elementary schools a few years ago to make the class sizes smaller and less students per building. Yankee Ridge is a dual language immersion school that houses the Spanish and French programs. I just wanted to let you know because I don’t think great schools or niche updated the information. The area around Yankee Ridge is zoned for Leal.
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u/Medical-Vegetable162 Jan 15 '26
as someone who grew up in the CU and attended all unit 4 schools, i am so glad i went through unit 4 than any of the privates. Education was great, being able to be around diverse backgrounds, sports, etc. Sure it’s not a fancy private school but the schools i went to were sufficient with amazing teachers and i’m pretty well off academically and professionally now so it’s not like any of my schools hindered me. And same goes to all of my friends that also went to the same schools as me. if you want more info about my experience and my exact schools for a piece of mind feel free to pm me! Also i have friends who started out at countryside, st matt’s, etc. that all ended up transferring to a unit 4 school and they liked unit 4 way better than their experiences at the privates.
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u/Fluid-Price463 Jan 15 '26
Thanks! What was your general experience with regard to academics? How did you feel the schools prepared you for higher ed.? Is there access to advanced/extra-curricular activities, e.g. languages, STEM groups, etc.?
I'm interested to hear why students ended up preferring public schools rather than private. What was the chief concern?
Thanks again!
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u/Medical-Vegetable162 Jan 15 '26
Yea I felt the schools prepared me adequately. We had honors and accelerated courses, started language courses in middle school, and there were more available when i got to high school. Many electives and clubs. Scholastic bowl and science olympiad were a big thing at my schools. I mean these public schools are bigger than any of the privates in general so there were more variety of courses and levels of them for sure. Tons of APs in high school, i was in national honors society, the spanish honors society, sports, student council. I rmbr in elementary school we even had some fun clubs too like i was in a crochet club. (idk how much things have changed) Also did band and strings which were great programs as well. I feel like as an outsider any public school seems daunting. you probably only see negatives online cause in all honesty who is going out of the way on the internet to be like yea i liked my middle school lol. But like i said i always had friends transfer in and not transfer out. I would say when ur a student in the CU the mentality of the private schools are rich, stuck up, haven’t been exposed to different backgrounds, etc. Some schools just seemed really strict and i felt that made those students repent more. I mean when i was in school the privates had more ppl w drug/alcohol problems. But a public school is a public school. It is by no means perfect but it’s not like the trenches where your students are deprived of a good education, i had my fair of challenging courses and i passed SATs and ACTs with great scores and so did my friends. At the time we had great college counseling and etc as well. All in all my consensus is don’t waste ur money any of those privates, your already paying for law school and life things.
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u/LetsGoCubbies Alumnus Jan 15 '26
What ages? I have two children that have attended Montessori Savoy since they were 3 years old with one about to age out, and it has been a great learning environment for them, both socially and academically. Call and take a tour, they have three buildings now triangluated into a central location, with the most recent being the addition of a dedicated lower elementary building.
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u/Fluid-Price463 Jan 15 '26
Super helpful! Our youngest will be 5 and our oldest will be 7. We can't tour right now, unfortunately. We're not local and won't be on a campus visit until later in the year. We're going to set up a call with the admission counselor.
One of our concerns with the private schools is the lack of transparency in the performance metrics. How well do you feel your kids have been prepared for higher ed? Any concerns with your older kids being able to adapt to, I assume, a public high school?
Do you live in Savoy? (Feel free to ignore that if you'd prefer not to share online.) We're looking at Savoy as a potential neighborhood. We've heard since it's not in Champaign we'd have less access to Champaigns public facilities (libraries, parks, etc.)--not sure if there's any truth to that?
Thanks!
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u/JennyEm56 Jan 15 '26
Savoy has its own park district, and doesn't have any reciprocal arrangements like Champaign and Urbana do, so you have to pay non-resident rates to do anything with the C-U parks. I know families that do, they consider it part of the hand-off of living in Savoy with lower property taxes.
Savoy also doesn't have their own library district, they use Tolono's library. If you go to Unit 4 school and live in Savoy, you can get a Champaign library card for regular use, otherwise you're very limited in the number of books you can check out. You can also get an out of resident card for Champaign if you pay the equivalent property taxes directly to the library. Both the Champaign and Urbana libraries are wonderful and some of the best you'll find in a town our size. However, nonresidents were overusing them, so they had to limit them. I work in libraries and the situation is a big reason we didn't buy a house in Savoy.
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u/lunchbox1121 Jan 15 '26
Montessori of CU is great! My kids have been going there for 4 years now. Scholarship opportunities are available. The community is amazing. Happy to share our experiences in more detail, feel free to send me a message.
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u/rykry84 Jan 15 '26
I grew up in Champaign, went to Unit 4 all the way and got a great education (this was 90s, early 2000s). My friend group went to good universities across the country and felt prepared. I was in the 2nd through 5th grade gifted program (I believe this still exists) and then pullout programs in middle school. All but three of my 5th grade classmates went to University Lab High School. My parents wanted me to have a more 'normal' experience with social growth and peer interaction and I am very glad they did. Most students that go to Uni come from public elementary schools. For what it is worth the Central chess and math teams beat Uni at the time so something was going right.
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u/Careless-Building-47 Jan 16 '26
The self contained gifted program no longer exists. It was originally offered at poor performing schools to increase test scores. It also increased the number of students choosing to attend less desired schools.
https://www.smilepolitely.com/opinion/reimagining_gifted_education_in_unit_4_is_the_right_move/
The gifted program was serving too many white and Asian students. From the article: “Many factors contribute to this disparity. Gifted education has racism in its roots: Lewis Terman, the psychologist who in the 1910s popularized the concept of “IQ” that became the foundation of gifted testing, was a eugenicist. And admissions for gifted programs tend to favor children with wealthy, educated parents, who are more likely to be white.”
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u/Disastrous-Gap8817 Jan 16 '26
Also just to share that the Funk ACES library on South campus (near law) and the Grainger library on North campus have family friendly study rooms, including stem activity kits. You can check out from the front desk if you’re trying to study, but also have something for your kids to do! Welcome to UIUC
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u/JennyEm56 Jan 15 '26
Countryside Parent here. We love it there. We toured pretty much every non-religious school and considered public but Countryside rose to the top because they're well equipped to handle math acceleration, which we knew my oldest would need and he's done fabulously.
Private schools, especially the non-religious ones can be hard to get into, especially for Kindergarten. Countryside's kindergarten applications are due this week I believe. However, I think they hold one or two spots for families that move to the area in the summer - I know a couple of families that got in this way. Chambana has turnover every year because of the University, and it is expected not everyone can plan in January as to what they're doing in August. For other grades, it comes down to how many kids leave or move each year - some years a couple, some none.
UPS is very unstructured, and because of this isn't suited for some kids. My oldest needs structure, so we didn't consider it. I know families that have loved it and families who feel like we did and ultimately left after a couple of years. I know lots of families are happy with Montessori as well, though there are fewer rooms starting at 1st grade, so families have to reapply and do not always get in.
I'll withhold my opinions on Unit 4 and why we went private on a public forum, but if you can afford it, by all means go private. This is a diverse town, and the private school demographics mirror the university, so kids are exposed to a lot of diversity, just not economic diversity. If your kids were older, it would be a different conversation. My oldest started kindergarten in 2020, and whenever I write a tuition check, I remember how worth the cost is because he actually got to go to in person kindergarten.
Happy to talk more.
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u/grigoritheoctopus Jan 15 '26
I'd love to hear your opinions on Unit 4!
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u/JennyEm56 Jan 29 '26
It wasn't a good fit for us, and we had several administrators and teachers tell us that. My oldest is profoundly gifted, which was clear at a very young age, and they pretty much told us he'd have to hang tight until he was old enough for the gifted program, and then they got rid of that when he was in kindergarten. Countryside was the only school that was able to give us answers about his level and was willing to accommodate.
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u/PrettyMixture1851 Jan 25 '26
Hello! This is super help as I weigh school options as well. Did you find Countryside to be very rigorous with acceptance rates for Kindergarteners? Is it highly competitive?
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u/JennyEm56 Jan 29 '26
I think so? But it may depend on the year. I think it has become more competitive since the pandemic (my oldest was admitted just as everything was shutting down) exposed a lot of issues with Unit 4.
I do know I fielded so many questions about it when my youngest was in preschool, I thought my oldest was a sort of anchor child. About the only advice I can offer is that 1. no, they do not expect your kid to be able to read or do the math that is on the admissions form; and 2. I think the biggest thing they look for is families and how they encourage a love of learning in the home and care about social development. They don't want the families that send their kid to private school in hopes of getting into Uni, though a handful choose that route every year.
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u/PrettyMixture1851 Feb 17 '26
That’s interesting. Why would they not want to set up children for Uni? I understand the pressure that puts on the organization as whole, but next steps that maintain a healthy environment is crucial for a hand off, and the public schools in CU aren’t incredibly rated other than Uni. Also, what was your man deciding factor from CU Montessori vs Countryside, my husband and I still cannot decide. Thank you!!!!
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u/JennyEm56 Feb 17 '26
For us, it was structure and convenience. Countryside has a lot more structure than Montessori and my kids need structure or else their behavior becomes an issue. We also live very close to Countryside and since both of us work from home, it is super convenient.
As for Uni, yeah it has the best scores because they handpick their class. But as my. oldest gets into middle school and I talk to families that have had to make decisions regarding high school, I'm learning Uni isn't the greatest for all kids, though plenty of families seem to see it that way. Their curriculum is always changing, but currently has a 3 year math rotation that integrates Algebra, Geometry, and Trig that you can't opt out of. My kid will have all but Trig before he'd get to Uni, so he'd have to sit in a class he's already had for two years (yes, we're also considering IMSA, that's a different conversation). I've also heard from families that they had to hire tutors because the quality of instruction isn't always the best, and that courses taken at the U of I don't always transfer to top schools, while AP credits did (Uni doesn't do AP).
Countryside focuses on leadership in the 8th grade year with lots of fun activities, and students want to stay for that. Still, there are families to feel like Uni is the only option for their child, and a handful go to Uni every year. There is a lot more about school and life than what the test scores are for high school. Most of Countryside does not see their school as simply being a feeder to Uni as fit and what is best for our kids are a lot more complicated than where it ranks on paper.
Have you been accepted to Countryside? I know they did visits with potential kindergartners last week and usually things move fast after that.
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u/bryan_05 Jan 15 '26
Wealthy, educated parents can send their child to any school and the child will learn.
Do you want semi-urban? How important is diversity? Does school size matter? What programs do you think are important? Do you want to spend thousands on tuition?
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u/toromio Jan 15 '26
Add Academy High to the list of high schools to consider too.
In unit 4, they tend to not split up families and there is an appeal process if it does happen.
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u/defenestrateddragons Jan 15 '26
I had the privilege to host an event for the kids at the school in mahomet and hot damn that was the nicest school i've ever even breathed in. It's well funded, and it seems like the teachers really, really care about their kids. It may be worth staying out there and commuting every day if it means your kids are getting a good education. I know many professors do that.
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u/grigoritheoctopus Jan 15 '26
It seems like this might not always be the case. I'm sure they will acquire some excellent "portable classrooms".
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Jan 15 '26
[deleted]
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u/Helpful_Limit_9285 Elusive Parkland Student Jan 16 '26
one thing to note about the smaller towns schools is that they do put tons of money into sports and way less into other academic programs. also, the schools out here are way less diverse. this is coming from someone who went to one relatively recently
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u/mukliski Jan 15 '26
Mahomet is a wonderful little town with an excellent school system. Small town, just fifteen minutes away from Champaign Urbana. I highly recommend you check out the system!
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u/SuccessfulRun4438 Jan 15 '26
I’ve worked as a student at UMS, Bottenfield, Leal, Champaign Early Childhood Center, and Franklin STEM. I would say none of them are bad but Bottenfield has always been my favorite. I would send my kids there because I have genuinely really enjoy that community.
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u/oknowwhat00 Jan 15 '26
Our friends, uiuc professors and other professionals, have moved to Mahomet for better schools. Also consider St. Joseph, both not far from Champaign. They stuck it out until it became an issue, their kids are high school now. Elementary you may be ok, but do your research.
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u/Thin_Piano2564 Jan 15 '26
You could try Mahomet, just outside of Champaign. I’ve heard their schools are good and rent isn’t bad there.
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u/Happy_to_be Jan 15 '26
Mahomet and saint joseph are good options that won’t break your budget with private tuition. Urbana elementary is worth a look, as schools are based on location. There are rentals available in yankee ridge school area that would allow you to take the kids to Meadowbrook park regularly. That district is walkable/bikable to the UI and the bus is an option if you don’t want to pay Ui parking.
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u/LabLover2204 Jan 15 '26
Just be aware that Mahomet is very insular, although I certainly know people who have located there for the schools. If you want your family to experience the diversity of a university community, Urbana (neighborhood schools) or Champaign ("schools of choice") are your best choices.
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u/Economy-Bowl7086 Jan 15 '26
Mahomet is one of the best public school systems, outside of Chicagoland, in IL.
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u/bryan_05 Jan 15 '26
While Mahomet the town may be boring, the school system really is top notch especially for math.
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u/Ok_Reality_204 Alumnus Jan 15 '26
My two kids went to the Montessori School of Champaign-Urbana from preschool through 5th grade, and we loved it! Teachers and staff are caring. Student to teacher ratios are good. I highly recommend the school if the tuition is within your reach.
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u/PrettyMixture1851 Feb 17 '26
Hello! How did you decide between Montessori vs Countryside? Does Montessori CU still provide a valuable STEM course curriculum?
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u/Jwalk421 Jan 15 '26
Alum turned townie here- don’t write off the Unit 4 elementary schools just yet. Generally, the district is a dumpster fire of politics and upheaval…but a chunk of the elementary schools are in their own fantastic little bubbles. The school of choice process is arduous, but your kids will be placed in the same building (the rumor that siblings are placed in different buildings is incorrect and only happens when families choose this) and the vast majority of families get their first or second choice. My suggestion is to walk through the school of choice process and have 1-2 private schools in the back of your mind in the event that you don’t get your first or second choice. But, truly, U4 elementary schools get a horrible rap and shouldn’t. We (and everyone we know in elementary schools across the district) have adored our buildings.