Building Namesakes

School Named After Year Notes
CECC   2003 Champaign Early Childhood Center
Barkstall Vernon L. Barkstall 1998 Named for Vernon L. Barkstall, leader of the Urban League of Champaign County for 28 years.
Booker T. Washington Booker T. Washington 1950 Named for African-American educator Booker T. Washington.
Bottenfield   1995 Named for Ezra Bottenfield who taught history from 1929-1946. His daughter, Lois, taught Latin at Champaign High School.
Carrie Busey Carrie Busey 1957 (Savoy 2012) Named for Miss Carrie Busey who had been a secretary to the Superintendent in Champaign from 1911-1951.
Dr. Howard Dr. Hartwell C. Howard 1910 Named after Dr. Hartwell C. Howard who settled in "West Urbana" in 1854. He and one other doctor were the first two doctors of medicine in the country.
Garden Hills Garden Hills Subdivision 1957 Named after the subdivision of Garden Hills and built to provide for the children in that area.
International Prep Academy   2014 Named for the school-wide dual language program.
Kenwood Kenwood Subdivision 1962 Named for the area in which it is located. Originally the area west of Centennial Park was known as the Kenwood subdivision.
Robeson F. K. Robeson, Sr. 1967 Named for F.K. Robeson, Sr. The property on which the school was built was donated by the Robeson family.
South Side   1924 To the best of our knowledge, South Side was given its name since at the time it was located on the far south side of Champaign.
Stratton Academy of the Arts Mr. Kenneth O. Stratton 1998 Built in 1998, Stratton Elementary was named after Mr. Kenneth O. Stratton, Champaign Schools' first African American Board Member.
Westview   1950 Like South Side, when Westview was built it was on the west side of Champaign.
Edison Middle School Thomas Edison 1914 Named for Thomas A. Edison
Franklin Middle School Benjamin Franklin 1953 Named for Benjamin Franklin
Jefferson Middle School Thomas Jefferson 1960 Named for Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson Middle School was originally called Parkside Junior High School "as an identifying measure when the plans were being drawn at the local firm". Unit 4 Board decided the school would be named by the students. (Both other middle schools were also named by the students.) As of Oct. 18th, 1959, it was known only by its geographic location - the junior high school at the park-school side in southwest Champaign. Each homeroom of the Franklin and Edison Middle Schools submitted a name and sent it to the Board. Five names were chosen by the board on November 3, 1959 to be voted on by the students: John Foster Dulles, Thomas Jefferson, George Marshall, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. Students from Edison and Franklin voted and Jefferson won "by a landslide" - Jefferson 1,022, Marshall, 164, Dulles, 147, T. Roosevelt, 127, FD Roosevelt, 104. (This was announced at the November 16th, 1959 board meeting - but was not approved by the board until the next meeting.)
Central High School   1935 Initially bore the name of the city only, being Champaign Senior High School. When we went to two high schools, it was re-named Champaign Central High School.
Centennial High School   1963 Believed to have been named for the Centennial Park area in which it is located.
Novak Academy Greg Novak   Formerly the Academic Academy, the alternative high school program was named after Board of Education emmber Greg Novak who was deeply committed to the school's inception and mission.