Board to Vote on School Closure Hearings
The District 65 board will decide Monday whether to schedule public hearings on closing Dewey and Lincolnwood elementary schools.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Administration
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District 65 Board of Education will vote Monday, November 16, on setting up public hearings on closing Dewey and Lincolnwood elementary schools. Interim superintendent Eric Witherspoon proposed the closures as part of a plan to cut $20 million from the district's financially troubled budget.
Why it matters
Witherspoon says District 65 has too many buildings for too few students, with the average elementary school about one-third empty. Opponents, including the For a Brighter Evanston group, argue the district should wait for a new superintendent and that the closures would not substantially reduce the structural deficit.
The proposal targets a $20 million reduction in the District 65 budget, and the average elementary school in the district is about one-third empty. Opponents dispute whether closing two schools would meaningfully reduce the structural deficit, and the outcome of the board vote and any litigation remains unresolved.
The players
Eric Witherspoon
Interim superintendent of Evanston's District 65 who proposed the closures as part of a plan to address the district's budget shortfall.
District 65 Board of Education
The elected body governing Evanston's District 65 public schools, which will vote on whether to schedule public hearings on the proposed closures.
The details
The Monday vote would not close any school but would set up the public hearings required before a final decision. Two attorneys connected with For a Brighter Evanston have threatened to sue the district if the board schedules the hearings, and the board has also received budget and attendance-zone implications for closing King Arts, though that option is off the table.
Timeline
Monday, November 16, 2026: Board votes on setting up public hearings on closures.
Next month: Public hearings would occur unless blocked by litigation.
End of the current academic year: Proposed closure date for Dewey and Lincolnwood elementary schools.
Next year: A new superintendent is expected to be hired.
Season Trajectory
The proposal follows a broader pattern of enrollment-driven school consolidation facing Illinois districts as buildings outpace student numbers. Its outcome will shape how Evanston's district balances building capacity against budget pressures before a new superintendent arrives.
Families with children at Dewey or Lincolnwood would face school relocation if the closures proceed at the end of the academic year. Parents can follow the board's vote Monday and the public hearings that would follow to understand how proposed changes could affect school assignments.
The takeaway
School consolidation decisions often hinge on whether closures deliver meaningful savings against community disruption. Watching the public hearings and the board's final vote will show whether the district commits to closures or pauses for a new superintendent.
What happens next
Public hearings on the proposed closures would be scheduled next month if the board approves setting them up and no litigation blocks them.
Further reading
For more on how districts manage facilities and budgets, see Administration coverage in Evanston.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Evanston Now.
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Should Evanston close neighborhood elementary schools to cut the district's budget?
