The Evanston-Skokie District 65 School Board has just over a month to decide which schools to close.
During a four and a half hour meeting Tuesday, board members discussed possibly closing schools as the district faces declining enrollment and a budget shortfall of $10m-$15m.
Parent Kelly McCabe told the board she’s embarrassed and “the community deserves clear, honest communication about the data and the formulas used to justify these closures”.
Nichole Pinkard asked her fellow board members which criteria matter most.
In addition to schools where students can walk to “what are one or two other ways to think about the reality of removing two schools?”
Parent Tina Dehghan Bernabe argued the buildings’ ADA accessibility should matter more than factors because “it is not an amenity. It is a civil right”, she said to applause from the audience.
The board is weighing how many students would be affected, building conditions and other issues as it appears to have settled on closing three schools at the end of this school year.
The options include Lincolnwood, King Arts, Kingsley, Dawes or Washington Schools as it tries to cut persistent red ink.
Its self-imposed deadline is November 17th.
Other speakers criticized the environment that led to former Superintendent Devon Horton being indicted last week for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars in a kickback scheme.
Sergio Hernandez stepped down as president of the board during the meeting where he called the indictment ‘deeply troubling’ but said the district has made progress in accountability, transparency and financial oversight.
Multiple public speakers demanded that Hernandez resign from the board entirely.