Full Breakdown
Community Protest Over Proposed Closures of Dewey and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools
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Proposed Closures Prompt Community Protest
Parents, students, teachers and local residents gathered outside the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center to oppose the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board’s plan to close Dewey and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools. The rally, organized by the newly-formed advocacy group For A Brighter Evanston, featured chants and signs demanding greater transparency and accountability as the district searches for solutions to its financial crisis. Protesters argued that decisions were being made too quickly and without sufficient community input.
Financial Context and Prior School Closures
Reporting by the Evanston RoundTable revealed that district administrators overestimated capital spending by $17 million for the next five fiscal years. District 65 had already shuttered Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies and Kingsley Elementary last year. Board members are scheduled to consider the Dewey and Lincolnwood proposals later this month, with parents urging a delay until more accurate financial data are reviewed.
Voices from Parents and Neighbors
- Joey Wiener, a Dewey parent, said the district’s budget mistake is “par for the course” but criticized the speed of the closure plan.
- Ann Chookaszian expressed difficulty explaining the situation to her daughter, asking, “Why is this the best thing for our community, the best thing for our city?” — “Why is this the best thing for our community, the best thing for our city?” — Ann Chookaszian
- Jennifer Cotto Jhonson highlighted that the entire community’s tax dollars are at stake, noting the broader financial predicament.
- Angela Eubank, a Lincolnwood parent, warned that redistricting her third-grader to Willard Elementary would require crossing a busy road, eliminating the possibility of walking to school.
- Anne Gendler, a fourth-ward resident who has lived across from Dewey for three decades, described the school as a “perfectly thriving little school” and warned that an empty campus would burden the district with maintenance costs. — “You’ve got a perfectly thriving little school,” — Anne Gendler, fourth ward resident
Verbatim Quotes
- “Why is this the best thing for our community, the best thing for our city?” — Ann Chookaszian (parent)
- “You’ve got a perfectly thriving little school,” — Anne Gendler (fourth-ward resident)
Next Steps and Community Demands
The district’s board will review the closure proposals later this month. Protesters are calling for a pause on any action until the district provides a revised financial outlook and a clear plan for maintaining educational access in the affected neighborhoods. Community members also urged the district to keep the Dewey building occupied to avoid the costs of an empty facility.