Our History
On May 7, 1992, Sandy and Jim Levin sponsored a public meeting at the Urbana Free Library to determine interest for an independent nonsectarian school in the Champaign-Urbana area. More than 50 parents and educators attended this first meeting. The consensus was to create an elementary school with an enriched, project-based curriculum focusing on math and science. Committees were set up to draft a school philosophy and work on curriculum, to prepare a budget and determine tuition, to find a building, to hire teachers, and to handle public relations and admissions.
Countryside School of Champaign-Urbana, Inc. was incorporated on June 30, 1992. First Board members Janis Treworgy, President; Laura Walsh, Vice President; and Sandy Levin, Secretary, were the incorporating officers. A lease on the building at 2819 W. Kirby Avenue in Champaign was signed on July 5, 1992. Two teachers were hired and, by the first day of school, 12 students were enrolled in grades 1-3.
Parents and teachers worked with great diligence during that summer converting a former gymnastics center with an adjacent vacant lot into a school with a fenced-in playground. Furniture was purchased at bargain prices from auctions and garage sales. Parents cleaned and repaired the used furniture and built additional tables and easels. Several generous donations of money and gifts-in-kind from parents and grandparents provided the resources necessary to allow Countryside to open that first year.
In its second year, the school grew to an enrollment of 36 students in grades K-4 with three teachers and an administrative director. In May of 1994, the first Head of School, Cathie Webber, was hired. Two buildings were leased in the '94-'95 school year to house 75 students in grades K-8. During the 1995-96 school year, enrollment reached 85 students and the staff had grown to eight full-time teachers, five part-time teachers, and
three administrative staff.
By the middle of the '95-'96 school year the need for a new facility became very apparent, and members of the Board of Trustees researched the various options. After much investigation, the Board decided to purchase land at the intersection of Staley Road and Kirby Avenue. In five months the necessary funds were raised to begin construction on a new school. Groundbreaking for the new school took place in October of 1996.
In its fifth year of existence, '96-'97, Countryside was housed in three buildings. The school grew to 110 students.
School opened for the sixth year in August of '97 with 125 students in our own new building. Pia's Gallery was dedicated to the memory and ideals of Pia Gratton, on October 31st, as the school celebrated the culmination of our first theme week: "Respect - Finding Non-Violent Solutions to Problems."
During the 99-00 academic year, the school participated in a year-long self-study process, the first part of the accreditation process.
A milestone was reached during the 2000-2001 school year, as Countryside was awarded accreditation by ISACS (the Independent Schools Association of Central States). A Visiting Team of seven educators from other independent schools in the midwest visited Countryside School in October, examining every aspect of the school and its operations. The school was buoyed by the many commendations from that report and immediately began to address the recommendations offered.
In 2001-2002, the Land For Our Dreams capital campaign came to an early, successful conclusion, having raised the funds needed to purchase the 1.6 acre piece of land next to the K-3 playground and the approximately six acres of land to our west. Our first annual auction was held in May, in conjunction with the 10th anniversary celebration of the founding of the school. The school was full with 133 students.
Again, a full school of 133 students, celebrated the importance of a “smile” during Theme Week 2002. Other special events of the 2002-2003 year included a fall family picnic at Curtis Orchard, all-school Science Fair, “Countryside Carnivale” auction,
During the 2003-2004 Theme Week we focused on “Invite” and “Give.” Speakers/presenters were invited to the school to share their talents and knowledge, and students and teachers worked hard on community service projects to “give” back to our community. Featured speakers at our Founders Day/Grandparents Day Celebration were founding parents of the school, Joan Dawson and Paul Lauterbur, a 2003 Nobel Laureate. The school hired the architectural firm of Bailey-Edwards to draw up preliminary plans for a possible expansion of the school.
The first phase of this expansion was approved by the 2004-2005 Board, and construction began on an addition to the school in the spring. We moved into the new addition on October of 2005 and celebrated with a community open house. A Mandarin Chinese program was introduced and a fourth core teacher (math) was added to the middle school. Theme Week focused on “Risk” and “Live.”