The History of Leal School
Thomas R. Leal was an orphan boy who attended school in New York with fellow orphan Jay Gould. While Gould grew up to pursue money, Leal dedicated his life to teaching children. This former school teacher and the area's first county superintendent of schools is known as the father of education in Champaign County.
Leal, who lived from 1829-1904, came to Urbana in 1852 as a teacher. Five years later, as county superintendent of schools, he began a push to install blackboards in all the schools -- an expense some school boards balked at -- and he organized the first teachers' institutes in the region.
Under Dr. Leal's leadership the number of school houses grew from 46 in 1857 to over 200 schools in 1873, serving an area roughly one thousand square miles. Leal School in Urbana is named for him.
The original site of the present school building housed the Urbana Male and Female Seminary built in 1855 by the Methodist Church. In 1857 the building was sold to the city for $5,000. Thomas R. Leal, at that time a county commissioner, was instrumental in securing this transfer which marked the beginning of the Urbana Public School system.
In 1872, this site was the Oregon Street School which was later changed to "Leal School." This building housed the Urbana Schools until 1892 when the Thornburn High School was built. In 1935 Leal School was razed and replaced by the present building at a cost of $212,700.
Contact Us
| Address: | 312 W. Oregon Urbana, IL 61801 |
|---|---|
| Phone: | (217) 384-3618 |
| Fax: | (217) 384-3622 |
| School Hours: | 7:50 a.m. - 3 p.m. |
| Principal: | Spencer Landsman |
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, August 18
First Day of Student Attendance
for Grades 1-9,
1/2 of Kindergarten Students Attend
Thursday, August 19
All High School in Attendance,
Washington EC begin and 1/2 of Kindergarten Students Attend
Friday, August 20
All Students in Attendance
