Evanston/Skokie District 65 board vote to close schools ends in deadlock amid financial woes
A north suburban school district's financial future is in limbo after leaders with the district became deadlocked on plans surrounding their money troubles.
Evanston/Skokie District 65 is facing true financial problems, and board members know they must close at least one or more schools in order to get a handle on its finances. Despite holding a special meeting on Monday night, the board is still deadlocked
Parents and community members packed the meeting as they pleaded with the district's board members, some to save schools.
"Closing multiple schools isn't the clear-cut cost savings lever some think it is," one speaker said.
While others pushed to move forward to shut down schools for savings.
"Vote tonight, vote to close one school in addition to Betsy Rhodes. Let's stop talking bout what we might lose and start talking about the future," another speaker said.
The financial future for District 65 has a huge deficit, and the board was in attendance to vote to close one school or multiple schools. The closures would ensure savings for at least a year.
Board members have been split voting three to three, and with one vacant seat, unable to get over the hump.
"Doing nothing means that we go below 90 days without cash on hand next year, and that will have multiple negative financial consequences for our district," said board member Mya Wilkins.
"One school closure leaves significant financial liabilities for our community to the tune of $9.1 million," said board member Andrew Wymer.
The board's president, Patricia Anderson, said closing no school was not an option, but the board was deadlocked and did just that — saying the next step was going to seat a new board member. The move left parents perplexed.
"This deadlock is where we ended last time, and many of us have been advocating for the board desperately to come to a decision," said Hanah Jones-Lewis.
"They're talking about taking care of 6,000 students, all students, but the moment they didn't get their exact way, there was no compromise, it was hey, we're heading home," said David Hauser.
The community is left in limbo as they wait to see what the board will do or if they will have to wait for that vacant position to be filled to break the deadlock.