Evanston-Skokie District 65 presents proposed school closure scenarios to address budget deficit

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Tuesday marked an emotional and heated meeting for Evanston-Skokie District 65.

The school board talked about school closure scenarios to address a combination of money problems and declining enrollment. On Tuesday afternoon, people started to gather at Dawes Elementary in Evanston to protest some of these proposed plans.

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"You were wrong, and your misjudgment has harmed real people," one parent at the meeting said.

The meeting was at times heated and even contentious as parents and the community questioned the school board's plan to close some schools because of the district's budget deficit.

"You asked us to trust the process, but you're not following the trust that you tell us," said one parent.

The meeting lasted more than three hours as the community responded to several of the district's proposed school closure scenarios.

"I have two children and a granddaughter who went through the school district, so I understand. It's a painful process, but we have to address what's before us," said new School Board President Pat Anderson.

District leaders say they need to cut anywhere from around $10 million to $15 million to balance the budget by the 2027 fiscal year. That comes after years of operating in the red.

"There's no answer that, everyone wins here. There's an answer that we have to come up with for our district," said School Board Member Nichole Pickard.

After months of meeting, District 65 administrators presented at least six different closure combinations from a list of more than 30 possibilities.

They target several schools, including King Arts, Kingsley Elementary and Lincolnwood Elementary. They would be at risk of closing because of low enrollment numbers. Washington and Dawes could be on the list, too.

The school district also reportedly needs hundreds of millions of dollars for building repairs. The crisis comes as former district Superintendent Devon Horton was federally indicted for allegedly embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in a kickback scheme.

"We will keep moving forward to rebuild trust and excellent and make sure that District 65 reflects the pride that we have in all the schools," said former School Board President Sergio Hernandez.

The school board is expected to make its decision by the end of the year.

"Where are we going to be in two years? How are we going to pay our bills? This is a hard conversation a decision to make, but at the end of the day, with one community that needs to come together and focus in center on the kids," said parent Jaimie Wallace Butcher.