After the kindergarten registration period has ended on the last business day of March, the district will process assignments for all kindergarten students.

Applicants are assigned to schools using the Schools of Choice software that takes into account a variety of factors. The program takes into consideration the number of spots or “seats” available at each school and the socioeconomic status (SES) of applicants, aiming to assign a balance of low and non-low SES students to each school.

Applicant information is entered into a database, and each applicant is assigned a random ID number by the computer. Additional points are added to the applicant's ID number if any of the following priorities apply to their first choice school selection:

Sibling—This is the highest priority. If an applicant has a sibling who will be attending the school that is chosen number one on the registration form for the coming school year, the applicant is given additional points once this information has been verified.
Proximity—Every student has a Proximity Priority School. Your “Proximity Priority School” is any school within 1.5 miles of your home or, if you do not live within 1.5 miles of any school, it is the school closest to your home as determined by the district's transportation system. This system bases mileage on the shortest driving distance from the door of your residence to the door of the school. Applicants are given additional points if their first choice school is a school to which they have proximity. Proximity is a factor for elementary school students only; it is not a priority for middle school applicants. Families are welcome to rank non-proximity schools highly as part of the process, but if they choose to do so, they will not receive priority in receiving an assignment at that school. Find your proximity school using our map look-up tool.
Programmatic Needs—Students with programmatic needs are assigned to schools offering the services needed while following the Schools of Choice guidelines.

PLEASE REMEMBER: YOUR SIBLING AND PROXIMITY PRIORITIES ARE CONSIDERED FOR YOUR FIRST CHOICE SCHOOL ONLY.

Kindergarten assignment letters are mailed at the beginning of May. In the past three years, more than 97 percent of families have received one of their top three schools.

Wait Lists and Requesting a Transfer

Families who do not receive their first choice school will be placed on a waitlist for that school. If a seat becomes available at their first choice school and they are next in line for that seat, they will be offered the seat and will have 24 hours to decide whether or not they would like to accept it. The wait list will expire on the last day of the first semester each year. If a student does not receive a seat in his or her first choice school during the first semester, they may reapply to that school for the following school year during the transfer request period held in May. To request an elementary or middle school transfer, parents/guardians need to come to the Center for Family and Community Engagement during the month of May to complete registration forms and provide proof of residency. Transfer requests are processed in June.

Questions about registration?

Join us for one of the Schools of Choice events or contact the Center for Family and Community Engagement at 217-351-3701 or u4fic@u4sd.org.

Champaign Unit 4 School District

Empowering each learner to thrive in a diverse and changing world

Process