Unit 5

The Unit 5 school board on Monday chose Design Mavens and the Farnsworth Group to develop designs and determine the scope of additions at Parkside Junior High and Towanda Elementary Schools, respectively.

As both Bloomington-Normal school districts begin the school year, three principals know this year will be their last before retirement.

Unit 5 leaders say Rivian’s fight to lower its property tax bill could cost the school district as much as $6.8 million in lost revenue — uncertainty that looms over Unit 5’s budget planning.

The Community Schools program at two Unit 5 schools will be without federal funding to start the new school year. A legal effort to save the funding was unsuccessful.

A powerful teachers' union and Illinois law put up many barriers to firing tenured teachers, even ones with documented patterns of alleged misconduct.

Unit 5 said it does not know the purpose of a FOIA request from the state's attorney's office for its emails, text messages and public records requests between WGLT and the district. It came after WGLT asked about the state's attorney's information sharing with Unit 5.

A review of dozens of emails and other documents revealed siloed information sharing which kept Unit 5 from knowing what law enforcement and child welfare officials knew about its employees, even when it involved students in their care.

The current law requires students take at least two years of foreign language classes but that could change if the governor signs a bill the Illinois legislature unanimously passed.

The Unit 5 school board heard updates to its enrollment adjustments and changes for driver's education programming during Tuesday’s meeting.

Appearing in McLean County court on Thursday afternoon, Andrew "Drew" Miller, 40, of Normal, waived his right to a speedy determination about whether he’ll be detained awaiting trial on 42 felony counts.