Evanston-Skokie School District 65 to vote on school closures next week

This story has been updated to correct the date of the school board meeting.

The school board for Evanston-Skokie School District 65 will vote next week on whether to close two schools.

The board has been debating and discussing the potential closures at meetings for the last month.

The closures would cut more than 30 positions from before- and after-school care programs, and save the district almost $3 million annually.

The district is currently operating on a budget deficit of about $5 million at the moment.

District leaders held several meetings in October, telling parents and staff that schools facing declining enrollment and aging buildings would need to close. They recommended closing Lincolnwood and Dewey elementary schools.

Leaders said both schools have seen enrollment decline by 33%.

If they close, more than 700 students will have to change schools, and it could also cut transportation for pre-K students.

This is the second year the district has announced school closures. They indicated they are not planning to sell the properties, saying they could be renovated in the future.

Parents who spoke to CBS News Chicago at some of the meetings in October share concerns about the district's fate after former superintendent Devon Horton pled guilty to wire fraud, embezzlement and tax charges stemming from his time at Evanston-Skokie.

A final decision on the closures is expected at a school board meeting on Nov. 16.