Evanston District 65 to Close Child Care Program

The school board proposes ending the SACC program to cut $400,000 in annual district costs by the end of the school year.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Child Care

Gouache-painted illustration of a single empty school chair in a quiet room, representing a community child care program closure. — Evanston District 65 officials have proposed ending their long-standing child care program to cut $400,000 from the annual district budget. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should public school districts continue to fund and operate before-and-after-school child care programs?

Evanston District 65 officials plan to shutter the School Age Child Care (SACC) program at the end of the current school year. The move is intended to trim $400,000 from the district budget, as administrators maintain that childcare is not a core educational duty.

Why it matters

The proposed closure forces parents to transition to private alternatives, as district officials argue the current program is not financially sustainable. To reach cost neutrality, the program would require a 35% increase in monthly fees for the 350 students it currently serves.

SACC currently charges $504 per month, significantly higher than the $331 rate offered by the Skokie Park District. Other local options like Right At School and the McGaw YWCA charge roughly $494 and $495 per month, respectively.

The players

District 65 Board of Education

This is the governing body responsible for setting policy and managing the annual budget for the Evanston public school system.

The details

Only two of 25 area school systems currently operate their own child care programs, highlighting the outlier status of District 65's initiative. The decision follows the closure of Kingsley Elementary, which finished its final term at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

The Kingsley Elementary closure occurred at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
The SACC program is scheduled to close at the end of the current school year.

Culture Shift

The district's decision to exit the childcare market follows a broader documented trend of school districts divesting from auxiliary services to prioritize core academic missions. This pivot positions the district to refocus resources away from supplemental support services.

Families currently relying on SACC must begin comparing private providers, as the district-run service will no longer be available next year. Parents should note that local alternatives charge varying monthly rates, with some options costing substantially less than the current district program.

The takeaway

Families should begin researching regional alternatives like the McGaw YWCA or private vendors as soon as possible to secure spots. Monitoring board meeting updates will be critical for parents to confirm the final operational end date for the SACC program.