CUSD #4 - Who Are We?

Community Unit School District #4, is a consolidated PreK-12 rural school district with a student population of 770 students located in West Central Illinois. Our school district covers 220 square miles, and our western boundary is the Mississippi River. We are located approximately 15 miles north of Quincy, IL.

We have four attendance centers: MENDON ELEMENTARY houses 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. It is located in Mendon, IL. LORAINE ELEMENTARY houses Pre-K At-Risk and Pre-K Spec. Ed. and Kindergarten classrooms and is located in Loraine, IL. GREENFIELD ELEMENTARY houses 3rd and 4th grade classrooms and is located 2 miles North of Ursa, IL on Hwy. 96. UNITY MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL houses 5th through 12th grade classrooms and is located on Hwy. 61 in Mendon, IL.

The CUSD #4 community is made up of: Fowler, Lima, Loraine, Marcelline, Mendon, Meyer, and Ursa. We are a rural farm community with many residents working in nearby Quincy, IL.

Administratively we have a Superintendent of Schools, High School Principal, Middle School Principal and Elementary Principal.

The district runs 11 bus routes as approximately 80% of our students are bussed.

School District Organization
School And Community Background

The Community Unit School District #4 consists of approximately 220 square miles with the Mississippi River serving as the western boundary. The southern boundary extends to within five miles of the Quincy City limits.

This school district consists of Keene, Lima, Mendon and Ursa townships; a major portion of Honey Creek; and minor portions of Ellington and Gilmer townships in Adams County. A small area exists in each of three Hancock County townships of Rocky Run, St. Albans and Walker.

The physical plant of Unity was first constructed in 1917. It was then called Mendon High School. The original building was composed of eight classrooms and a small gymnasium. In 1937, a larger gymnasium was added, with locker rooms for both boys and girls, a stage area, and study hall space on the floor above. Shortly afterward, the title of Mendon Township High School was given to the educational facility.

In 1948, the northern section of Adams County was consolidated into Community Unit School District No. Four. Three-year high schools at Lima, Loraine and Ursa were discontinued and the students were brought by busses to the secondary attendance center formerly know as Mendon Township High School. The center was renamed Unity High School, the title which is used today.

At the time of consolidation, the Unit had seven elementary attendance centers located in the villages of Mendon, Fowler, Loraine, Ursa, Marcelline, Meyer and Lima. The use of Army surplus buildings, moved here from Camp Ellis near Macomb, and the construction of an agriculture building enabled the district to close the schools at Marcelline and Meyer.

The passage of a $780,000 bond issue in 1957 resulted in the addition of areas for commercial subjects, home economics, industrial arts, music and a new gymnasium. A new kitchen was also added at this time. The completion of the new gymnasium allowed the older one to be used as a cafeteria, an all-purpose area and seating for stage plays. New offices for the Superintendent of the Unit, the Administrative Assistant, the Principal and the Counselor were constructed at the high school. In addition, three new elementary schools were constructed at Fowler, Mendon and Greenfield (serving Ursa, Lima, Meyer and Marcelline).

The passage of a $175,000 in 1965 led to the new elementary school at Loraine.

In 1970, the construction of a new Middle School to serve grades seven and eight allowed the needed space in the elementary schools for a kindergarten program. The project was financed with existing District funds.

The Fowler school closed its doors after the 1978-79 school year due to enrollment decline.

In 1984, the District financed a $524,929 addition and renovation to the Middle School that provided modern industrial arts and agriculture rooms with a large workshop area to serve both classes, a new computer room and a new science department. It was at this time the Middle School and High School traded attendance locations.

In 1992, $1,000,000 of existing District funds and a Life Safety Bond in the amount of $1,250,000 provided funds to build a new Middle School and gymnasium. The band room was enlarged at this time. A new kitchen and boiler room to serve both buildings were added. To allow space for this construction, the original Mendon High School that was built in 1917 was razed.

The 1994-95 school year saw many organizational changes. Self-contained sixth grade classes were housed in the new Middle School. Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade were housed at Mendon Elementary. Second and third grade were housed at Loraine Elementary, and fourth and fifth grades were in Greenfield Elementary. All day, every day kindergarten was implemented. Block 8 scheduling was implemented for grades seven through twelve.

In the spring of 2002, voters of the district rejected a $1.00 increase in the Education Fund tax rate, which resulted in the elimination of several positions and programs. Block 8 scheduling was eliminated in grades seven through twelve, and a 7-period day schedule was put into place. Voters also rejected a proposal to fund a building addition to Mendon Elementary that would allow for a centralized elementary school and the closing of Greenfield and Loraine Elementary schools.

In the spring of 2003 voters of the district rejected a $.50 increase in the Education Fund tax rate, which resulted in the closing of Loraine Elementary and the elimation of several more positions for the 2003-2004 school year. During the summer of 2003 a group of citizens from Loraine known as "The Loraine Group" entered into a two-year agreement with the Board of Education to lease the Loraine Elementary building for community use and maintain the building.

To ease overcrowding at Mendon Elementary the Pre-K proram was moved to the Loraine Elementary building in the fall of 2004, sharing the building with "The Loraine Group". In the fall of 2006 the District reopened Loraine Elementary as a fully functioning school which housed the Pre-K program and Kindergarten.

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