Danville District 118 Superintendent John Hart made it official during Wednesday evening’s (May 13th) board meeting that starting this coming fall, Mark Denman School will become completely an “Early Learning Center;” housing all of the district’s Kindergarten classes; Pre-K classes; and also the Birth to 3 program, which works with entire families. (Pre-K and Birth to 3 are both grant funded, but by separate grants.)
A total of 13 Kindergarten classes will be moving over from Edison, Meade Park, Southwest, and Liberty Elementary Schools. Families of future 1st through 4th graders at Mark Denman will soon be notified which of those four aforementioned schools their children will be attending next year.
District 118 Board president Darlene Halloran said that this may have been an executive decision that the board did not need to vote on, but Hart communicated with everyone along the way.
AUDIO: He met with every board member, individually, to talk about it, get our concerns, get our feedback, to make sure that we were all on board with his idea.
District 118 Superintendent John Hart describes his “Mark Denman School Early Learning Center” plan to the school board meeting audience.
Hart said he’s had this type of move in mind for quite a while, going back to his assistant superintendent days.
AUDIO: I know that education really needs to start at an earlier grade. We can expand by using Mark Denman, getting the young kids all in one building. That group of teachers will be awesome in supporting each other. Mark Denman is centrally located. It really just makes sense.
So what happens to the district’s rented Carle building at 2300 North Vermilion, which held some Pre-K and Birth to 3 classes this year. The district says they are looking to rework the lease, or outright purchase it; and talks are ongoing. If the district hangs on to it; the original plan of a district employee daycare, some alternative classes, and still even some Pre-K use; would still be alive. But right now there are no plans for 2026-27, with the Birth to 3 classes there right now moving to Mark Denman. As Halloran states; should the district hang on to it, very expensive retrofit work would be needed. And since the lease was signed by the previous district administration, things have changed.
AUDIO: We all had kind of good ideas and dreams for what that building could be. We weren’t in the same financial position, and we weren’t aware of our financial position then, as we are now.
(1st Picture) Future Edison School principal Blake Bodine. (2nd Picture) Future returning North Ridge Middle School principal Eliza Brooks.
Two principal announcements have also been made. Blake Bodine is moving from assistant principal at South View Upper Elementary to principal at Edison School. And Eliza Brooks, after a three year absence, is returning as principal at North Ridge Middle School. She spent two years in Peoria as executive director of middle schools, and one year in Champaign as Southside Elementary principal. But conversations started happening, and she wanted to return to Danville, where she learned the trade.
AUDIO: Mr. Denman taught us a lot of great skills as a leader here. I was able to take those skills and sharpen them. And so, I’m glad to be back in my hometown. It was my dream to retire in the district that I started in.
At the end of Wednesday night’s meeting, Interim Business Director Todd Pence presented his plan for an amended budget for the current school year. It will now be on display for 30 days; with a hard copy available for viewing at Superintendent John Hart’s office, and a digital version available on the district website.
THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE DISTRICT 118 RELEASE
District 118 Announces Transition of Mark Denman Elementary to Birth-to-Kindergarten Center
Danville, IL — Danville Community Consolidated School District 118 announced today that Mark Denman Elementary will be restructured into a comprehensive Birth-to-Kindergarten Center beginning in the 2026–2027 school year. The transition is part of the District’s strategic effort to strengthen early childhood programming while balancing enrollment across elementary schools.
Under the new model, Mark Denman Elementary will serve as a centralized hub for early learning and will house the following programs:
• Birth-to-Three services
• All Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) classrooms
• All Kindergarten classrooms (this does not include Northeast Elementary Magnet students)
• Select Special Education classrooms (with some programs relocated to other district schools)
As a result of this restructuring, approximately 300 students currently enrolled in grades 1 through 4 at Mark Denman Elementary will be reassigned to other District 118 elementary schools. This redistribution will support more balanced student enrollment while allowing the district to consolidate early childhood services into a single, dedicated facility. This does not affect Kindergarten students at Northeast Elementary Magnet School.
“By bringing all early childhood programs together, we are creating a more consistent and accessible experience for our youngest learners and their families,” said district leadership. “This move will enhance instructional alignment, improve service delivery, and better position our students for long-term success.”
District administrators emphasized that this transition involves significant logistical planning. Mrs. Bunton, Director of Curriculum, and Mr. Weidenburner, Director of Building & Grounds, will provide detailed guidance to staff in the coming weeks to ensure a coordinated and smooth implementation.
Key Upcoming Milestones
• May 14, 2026: Schools will receive lists of students impacted by the reassignment
• May 15, 2026: Families will be notified by mail regarding their child’s school placement for the 2026–2027 school year
