The Evanston/Skokie District 65 school board on Friday voted unanimously to start the closure process for Kingsley Elementary School, following months of deadlock and indecision. The board also agreed that in October it will reevaluate whether to close Lincolnwood Elementary School.
A smaller crowd than usual attended the District 65 Board meeting on Friday night. Credit: Richard Cahan
The Friday evening vote at the district’s sparsely attended and unusually short special board meeting means that the district is tasked with closing two schools this year — Kingsley and the already scheduled for closure Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies — in addition to opening the new Foster School.
The hearings will take place on Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 22 at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The full resolution approved by the board proposes a three-pronged measure of financial stability for the district: establishing and maintaining a balanced budget, maintaining at least 90 days of cash on hand through the course of the fiscal year and maintaining a minimum of $2.7 million set aside for capital expenditures related to building maintenance.
If the three criteria are not met by October, and the districtwide average building use rate in kindergarten through fifth grade is less than 75% (excluding specialized schools and programs), then the board will “recognize that proposing to close Lincolnwood Elementary is needed.”
“My view of it is that it [the resolution] allows us to phase in and get the first phase of the work done,” said board President Pat Anderson. “In terms of my position, this meets that goal.”
District 65 School Board President Patricia Anderson addresses the audience on Friday night. Credit: Richard Cahan
The district is considering school closures because it needs to cut $10 million to $15 million to eliminate its structural deficit by fiscal year 2030 after running budget deficits for several straight years.
Previous votes
At recent meetings, four closure options came before the board for votes to start the closure process: the closure of Kingsley alone, the closure of Lincolnwood alone, the closure of both Kingsley and Lincolnwood and the closure of both Kingsley and Willard Elementary.
The six board members consistently rejected the scenario that would shutter Kingsley and Willard, but repeatedly tied 3-3 on the scenario that would close Kingsley alone and the proposal that would close both Kingsley and Lincolnwood.
Anderson, Nichole Pinkard and Maria Opdycke have consistently favored one-school closure scenarios in addition to the already planned closure of the Bessie Rhodes at the end of this school year.
District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner said little as the board discussed school cuts. Credit: Richard Cahan
Sergio Hernandez, Maya Wilkins and Andrew Wymer have consistently advocated for two additional school closures.
At the Dec. 1 board meeting, the option to start hearings on the closure of only Lincolnwood failed 4-2, rather than 3-3 with Pinkard and Opdycke voting in favor.
Friday’s board opinions
Although the board unanimously voted to pass this resolution, each stayed consistent verbally with their previously expressed concerns and desires for the district.
“These are very bare bones and minimum,” board member Mya Wilkins said of the resolution’s goals, “but they set up some targets we can work towards.”
Board member Andrew Wymer voiced similar thoughts, expressing that he sees the three stipulations in the resolution as a “step in the right direction.” Wymer noted that the district was initially targeting a 90% utilization rate in early conversations, and that he hopes to see efforts to extend utilization beyond the agreed upon 75%.
“I want to name, as well, that our superintendent made a recommendation to us to close two schools,” Wymer said. “I just wanted to put this in the space.”
Board member Maria Opdyke, on the other hand, saw a 75% utilization rate as potentially unachievable. She emphasized her believed necessity of considering alternative, creative solutions if the district comes up short come October, rather than immediately deciding to close Lincolnwood.
“It’s a very specific number that I’m not 100% comfortable with,” Opdyke said. She pointed towards potential benefits of having lower utilization rates, like the ability to use classrooms for pull-aside space for special education instructors or to convert into science labs in the future.
“We will come back to a conversation with alternative solutions in October, and we as a board will be open minded to solve our financial like long term capital asset problem, right?” she questioned.
Wymer, a previously staunch and vocal proponent of closing two schools, stated that he was “open to deliverable creative solutions,” come October.
Sparse public comment
Emily Garcia speaks at the public comment section of the meeting. Credit: Richard Cahan
An unusually low number of residents came to the Friday night meeting, resulting in a short but concentrated public comment period before the meeting began.
A number of commenters, including Emily Garcia and Russ Schoen, called on the board to consider their treatment of the Willard Elementary Two Way Immersion (TWI) families.
“If we are here tonight to revisit school closure scenarios yet again,” Garcia said, “Then that tells me that it is also possible to revisit the decision to close Willard TWI.”
Russ Schoen addresses the school board on Friday night. Credit: Richard Cahan
Schoen also took a moment to criticize board member Wymer, accusing his actions of not matching with his words.
“In November, December, you repeatedly cited financial urgency, talking about the compounding cost of delay,” he said. “Yet when you did not get your way in closing two schools immediately, you voted no on closing even one.”
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