EVANSTON'S SCHOOL CLOSURE PLAN HITS A $17M MATH PROBLEM. NOW PARENTS ARE LAWYERING UP.

Two elementary schools could close, hundreds of students could be reassigned, and a North Shore school district is trying to dig itself out of a financial hole. Then parents started checking the numbers and found a reported $17 million error in the long-range projections. Now the fight over Evanston/Skokie School District 65's future has moved from crowded school meetings to a formal legal objection.

There is no final decision to close the schools. But with a pivotal November 9 board vote approaching, families are asking a question that deserves a straight answer: Why move forward with a plan this disruptive before everyone agrees on the math?

TWO SCHOOLS, ONE VERY BIG DECISION

District 65's proposed Financial Sustainability Plan calls for closing Dewey and Lincolnwood elementary schools at the end of the 2026–27 school year. It is part of a broader package of approximately $20 million in proposed reductions covering staffing, operations and school programs.

The district says it faces a structural budget deficit, meaning ongoing expenses are growing faster than the revenue available to pay them. Declining enrollment and the cost of maintaining buildings have added pressure. District leaders argue that fewer buildings and other changes could make the school system more sustainable over time.

That is the district's case. Families are not obligated to accept it without examining what would be lost, what would actually be saved and whether the figures being used to make the decision are reliable.

According to the district's planning materials and local reporting, the proposal could move roughly 713 students and redraw attendance boundaries. Dewey's two-way Spanish-English immersion students would be reassigned together to Lincoln Elementary, while other specialized programs would also have to find new homes.

A school is not just a line on a budget. For families, it can be the place where children have learned the building, trusted the staff, found friends and finally settled into a routine. Changing that has a cost that does not fit neatly into a spreadsheet cell.

ABOUT THAT $17 MILLION

Two Dewey parents examining the district's five-year financial projections identified what was reported as a roughly $17 million overstatement tied to facilities expenses being counted twice. The district's chief financial officer acknowledged the error, according to independent reporting, and said revised projections would be prepared.

That finding matters. It does not mean the district suddenly has $17 million in cash available to spend. A projection error is different from an unspent balance, and correcting it does not automatically erase the district's ongoing operating deficit. District officials have continued to say the financial problems are real.

But when a district is asking families to accept school closures, possible job losses and changes to childcare, an error of that size raises legitimate questions about the review process. You cannot expect parents to treat the spreadsheet as gospel and then wave off a major correction as a footnote.

The district estimates the two closures could save about $2.9 million annually. Whether those savings justify the disruption, and how they compare with other options, is exactly what residents want the board to examine before it moves ahead.

THE LAWYERS HAVE ENTERED THE SCHOOL MEETING

On Friday, October 30, attorneys and District 65 community members submitted a formal legal objection asking the district to withdraw or delay action on its plan. Their letter argues that the current process fails to meet requirements under Illinois school law and does not adequately address financial transparency, educational consequences and equity.

That is the challengers' legal position, not a court ruling. No judge has declared the plan unlawful. The families say they are prepared to seek legal remedies if their concerns are not addressed.

One dispute concerns timing. The board is scheduled to vote November 9 on whether to advance the proposed closures into the formal public-hearing process. Illinois law requires public hearings before school closings can be finalized. Families question whether those hearings will provide a meaningful opportunity to influence the outcome if board members have already signaled support for the plan.

Another concern involves how attendance-boundary changes could affect access to specialized services, including Dewey's two-way immersion program. Parents have called for a districtwide review of whether the proposed moves would create new barriers for students and families.

District 65 says it is reviewing the legal objection with counsel and recognizes that school closures carry serious consequences for school communities. It has not announced a final decision to close either building.

THE CUTS GO BEYOND CLASSROOM DOORS

The proposed changes reach well beyond two school buildings. District materials describe possible staffing and operational reductions, the end of the district-run School Age Child Care program, and changes affecting early-childhood services, including plans to relinquish Head Start and Early Head Start grants in 2028.

For a working parent, before- and after-school care can be the difference between keeping a job and having to rearrange an entire workday. For a child who relies on language support or a specialized program, reassignment can mean far more than a different bus route.

Officials have described the plan as an attempt to protect long-term educational quality. Families counter that the district needs to show how the changes would affect students who already face the greatest barriers. Both claims deserve more than slogans. They deserve clear numbers, a workable transition plan and answers that can be tested.

This debate also comes after the district closed Kingsley Elementary and the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies. For some families, the latest proposal feels less like a one-time adjustment and more like another round of upheaval.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The next major date is Monday, November 9, when the school board is expected to consider moving the closure proposal forward. That is not the same thing as a final vote shutting the schools. Additional public hearings would be required before a final closure decision.

Families also have a more immediate deadline. The district has invited public input on its updated October 23 attendance-boundary proposal through 5 p.m. Friday, November 6. The district's own website has the survey and planning materials.

The legal objectors have requested a substantive written response by November 4. Whether the district changes its timeline, revises its numbers or proceeds toward hearings remains to be seen.

For now, the two schools are open. The proposed closures are not final. And parents who want the board to reconsider are still organizing, reviewing documents and demanding a chance to be heard.

730 BOOM RADIO'S FINAL WORD

Budget problems are real. So is the responsibility to get the numbers right before making decisions that can reshape children's lives. District 65 may ultimately demonstrate that closures are necessary, or the community may identify a better route. Either way, the public deserves to see the math, understand the alternatives and participate before the decision becomes irreversible.

When parents are doing the homework and finding a $17 million projection problem, the adults in charge should not be surprised when somebody asks to see the work.

730 BOOM RADIO | IT HITS DIFFERENT. EVERY TIME. BOOM!