Urbana Tiger Academy reports academic gains, warns of funding shortfall as program expands for high-school students

Tiger Academy, Urbana School District’s alternative daytime program, presented its 2024–25 year review to the Board of Education and outlined plans to increase high-school enrollment after grant funding that supported the program ended.

The program’s leadership told the board Tiger Academy served 47 students last year (up from 34) and that about 58 percent of students improved academically from fall to spring. Attendance averaged 56 percent for the year, and staff said attendance remains a key focus. The presentation noted that some students caught up academically: of a cohort that began the year reclassified below grade level, six returned to on-track grade placement and five graduated high school, including one who finished a full year early.

Tiger Academy staff said Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Phase 2 evaluation showed academic gains and improved socio-emotional outcomes for students who participated. The summary provided to the board said researchers “saw increases in academic performance,” and that “over 80 percent of students had an increase in their math and reading scores,” and that disciplinary incidents were fewer and less severe in the Tiger Academy setting than in students’ prior placements.

The program explained that it functions as a hybrid day program: students attend part of the school day at Urbana High School or Urbana Middle School and part of the day at Tiger Academy, with individualized schedules and small class sizes. Staff emphasized that many students served fall into three groups: students disengaged from traditional classrooms, students far behind on credits, and students placed after or awaiting expulsion who cannot be placed elsewhere.

Tiger Academy leaders said the program’s grants that subsidized daytime programming have ended; they estimated lost grant funding at roughly $500,000–$600,000 annually and described the district’s decision to continue the program with district funds while seeking new grant support. To make the program sustainable, staff told the board they will focus this school year almost exclusively on high-school students, noting that mixing middle- and high-school students in the same space posed behavioral and developmental challenges. "One of our greatest challenges these past couple years was the integration of middle schoolers and high schoolers here during the same time," the presentation said; the program will work with Urbana Middle School staff this fall on an on-site middle-school alternative model.

Staff identified continued priorities: boosting regular attendance, expanding college-and-career partnerships, growing the AVID elective onsite, and increasing academic opportunities (adding U.S. history and another English course this year). They said Tiger Academy expects to enroll about 29 high-school students at the start of the upcoming year and estimated an operational capacity of roughly 40–45 students overall, with the caveat that students are on campus at staggered times and classes are intentionally small.

Board members asked about capacity, funding, and whether Tiger Academy will serve middle-school students who face expulsion. Program staff said alternative placements such as READY remain options for expelled middle-schoolers this year, but Tiger Academy will work with UMS on developing in-building supports. Staff also asked the board and community to notify them about community organizations or donors who can support attendance incentives and after-school mentorships.

The board did not take formal action on funding during the meeting; Tiger Academy’s update was delivered as the meeting’s study topic and the district committed to continue exploring grants and partnerships to sustain the program.