Bessie Rhodes 7th, 8th grades to close 18 months early, school says, in surprise announcement

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Students are still waiting to find out where they will be going to school next month after Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies informed parents this week that seventh and eighth graders would be moved to another school at the end of the trimester.

News that the bilingual magnet school would be closing at the end of the school year was tough enough, parents told ABC7.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

But now, hearing that seventh and eighth grade students will be moved to another school mid-November as the school closes its seventh and eighth grades earlier than expected is gut-wrenching.

"To be blindsided by this transition where we're almost at the finish line, my daughter was in tears," said parent Anthony Arnold.

The Evanston/Skokie District 65 Board voted to close Bessie Rhodes and open a new school next year.

But this week's announcement means 42 students will be moved to different middle schools starting on Nov. 18.

Arnold says his eighth-grade daughter, Audra, was inconsolable.

"We got a few months left and now we've got to turn over everything in our household and our family, for what?" Arnold said. "On the way to school, she's inconsolable. And I don't understand what's going on. I don't understand what the reasoning is for all this hostility."

Anhel Vazquez's seventh-grade daughter was also distraught, she says.

"She has a lot of anxiety. She's very upset. New friends, new school, new setting," Vazquez said.

They have a private Zoom meeting on Friday afternoon, where, only then, will she find out where she will be going to school next month.

"They will inform us then, give us a packet, the school, everything. No options, no opinions what middle school your child could go to. It's just, here's the school, make sure they show up the next week," Vazquez said.

Many parents ABC7 spoke with share those same concerns.

"This is, like, ridiculous. You don't know which school your kid is going to," said parent Wajeha Shah. "My son is very concerned, he really wanted to go with his friends. I don't know why they're doing this to us very last minute. Because it takes time to adapt to change. And they are little kids. They cannot adapt to change so quickly."

The district told ABC7 this was an extremely difficult decision but they believe this is in the best interest of their students.