The Urbana City Schools District released the following statement on April 2, 2026, regarding questions about a potential data center in Urbana:
There have been a number of questions about the potential of a data center being constructed in Urbana across the road from the Urbana Junior High and Elementary School building. The District has received no information about this issue beyond what has been shared publicly in the media.
The information published about potential revenue for the school district was from an information sheet that was provided by the development team for the proposed data center. There has been no information shared with the District about any potential revenue from a data center.
It has been shared by staff from the City that negotiations regarding a potential CRA agreement for the proposed data center project have not commenced. In addition, if and when negotiations are initiated regarding a potential CRA agreement, they will reach out to the school district.
The Urbana Director of Administration, Spencer Mitchell, has contacted the District about participating in a Data Center Oversight Committee. Superintendent Thiel has agreed to represent the District on this committee.
Finally, the potential data center in Urbana has no impact on the current need for additional revenue for the District as proposed through the 1% Earned Income Tax on the May 5, 2026, ballot.
If you have any questions about these issues, please contact Charles Thiel, Superintendent, at [email protected] or at 937-653-1402.
