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Tuesday, November 10, 2026

District 65 delays its school-closure hearing vote to Nov. 16

Plus, a Divvy ribbon-cutting and the Illinois Holocaust Museum's reopening.

The 5AM Evanston team2 stories18 sources5 min read

SchoolsTop story

District 65 delays its vote on school-closure hearings until Nov. 16

The District 65 closure vote slid from Nov. 9 to Nov. 16

  1. Oct. 13Administrators propose closing Dewey and Lincolnwood elementary schools.
  2. Oct. 20Lincolnwood families meet district leaders, and tensions run high.
  3. Nov. 9The board delays its vote on starting public hearings.
  4. Nov. 16The board is set to take up the delayed vote.

If you have a child at Dewey or Lincolnwood, the clock just got a week longer. The school board pushed back its vote Monday on whether to start public hearings about closing the two elementary schools, after a group of parents threatened to sue if it went ahead. The board said it wanted more time for discussion, and the vote is now set for Nov. 16.

The Monday vote was expected to decide whether the district will close two schools, and spokesperson Melissa Messinger clarified that the upcoming vote will not immediately close the schools. Administrators proposed the closures as part of an effort to cut $20 million in spending by fiscal year 2028.

  • Next vote: Mon., Nov. 16
  • Not a closing vote: final vote comes after public hearings
  • Buildings: district indicated it isn't planning to sell them

More than 700students who would have to change schools if both close

District leaders said enrollment has fallen 33% at both schools. Closing them could also cut transportation for pre-K students.

Schools

Evanston families and teachers rally against District 65 cuts and a $17 million error

Chants of “No cuts, no closures” rang out as families and educators rallied outside the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center ahead of Monday's board meeting. The cuts on the table go past the two closings: the board is considering reducing more than 200 staff positions, and it could cut or phase out Head Start along with other non-mandated programs.

More than 200staff positions the board is considering reducing

Parents and teachers packed Monday's meeting to speak against the cuts.

Parents also identified a $17 million error in the district's financial projections. Corrections improved the district's financial position by about $27 million over five years, and parent Monica Mendoza said the miscalculation made her question whether the district has made errors before.

“Hearing this board discuss eliminating Head Start and framing early education as a financial drain on K-8 schools felt like a punch in the gut.”

Tracy Robinson, a teaching assistant in the district's Head Start program
  • Next step: board vote Mon., Nov. 16
  • : teacher says cuts could disproportionately affect Black and Latine students

District 65 aims to cut $20 million, and a $17 million error shifted its math

$20 million
in spending the district aims to cut by fiscal year 2028
$17 million
error parents found in the financial projections
$27 million
better position after corrections, over five years

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News Notes · More

D65 poll

A poll released Monday by the parent group found most of the 665 registered Evanston voters it surveyed oppose 's current plan for addressing budget deficits. At Monday's meeting, board President Nichole Pinkard, Vice President Chris Van Nostrand and member Maria Opdycke asked more questions and showed more skepticism than at previous meetings. Several new parent groups have formed since last fall. Evanston RoundTableEvanston RoundTableThe Daily Northwestern

Divvy

The city will hold a ribbon-cutting for its expansion at 10 a.m. Mon., Nov. 16, at Maple Avenue and Grove Street, outside the McGaw YMCA. The expansion adds 18 stations, 15 of them installed, with Ryan Field, Beck Park and the Evanston Ecology Center still to come. Evanston RoundTable

Fifteen of Evanston's 18 new Divvy stations are installed

15 of 18

  • installed
  • 3 still to come

Source: Evanston RoundTable

View as table
CountShare
installed1583%
still to come317%

Food drive

Evanston Community Cares and Evanston Township High School held their fourth and largest food drive over the weekend. Co-founder Valerie Kahan said that Saturday, “We at this moment have enough to feed 500 families,” after raising $16,000 ahead of time for bulk buying. Evanston RoundTable

Holocaust museum

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie reopens Wed., Nov. 11 after a 15-month renovation. Veterans, active-duty and retired military can visit free that day with up to four family members, and a valid military ID is required. The new auditorium seats 260, which CEO Bernard Cherkasov said is 40% more usable seats than before. CBS ChicagoDaily HeraldNBC 5 Chicago

Metra alerts

If you ride Metra, the old email-only alert system is gone, and you have to sign up again at metratracker.com, even if you were on it. The new system sends texts and train arrival predictions, and you can pick your lines, times and days. Metra said the old system's data can't be imported for privacy reasons. Daily HeraldNBC 5 Chicago

Shop

Etsy’s Top 100 Holiday Gifts are here with festive finds for everyone on your list. Think: custom playing cards, one-of-a-kind advent calendars, and hand-painted ceramics. One of our favorite finds is this customizable vinyl mixtape, complete with your choice of 10-12 of songs, a photo for the cover, and a personalized message. (Sponsored by Etsy) Advertising from Etsy.

Wardrobe

Cute enough for a coffee run, comfy enough for a full day on the couch, these soft-brushed barrel-leg sweatpants and this best-selling mock neck sweater make a pretty convincing case for staying cozy. Shop the pair, plus find more great cozy wardrobe options. Advertising from Amazon.

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Tuesday, Nov. 10

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Opossums!

“My dog encountered an opossum in our back yard last night. Luckily, there was no altercation between them. So I did some research: In case you were wondering, they do NOT carry rabies. They do not hibernate, although they may enter a state of torpor in very cold weather, waking up to forage when it warms a little…”

— A neighbor, Evanston/Skokie

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The Wrap

Evanston's artists get their own night out Thursday, Nov. 12. The Evanston Arts Council's Bright Night for the Arts at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center celebrates local artists and arts organizations, and it's the biggest art event of its kind in town. Come meet your neighbors' talents.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? D65 delays its school-closing vote; Council takes first budget votes

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5AM Evanstonto me · Tues., Nov. 106:00 a.m.

District 65 delays its school-closure hearing vote to Nov. 16

Plus, a Divvy ribbon-cutting and the Illinois Holocaust Museum's reopening.

The TLDR

  1. District 65 pushes its school-closure hearing vote to Nov. 16
  2. Families and teachers rally against cuts, a possible Head Start loss and a $17M error
  3. Divvy ribbon-cutting is set for Nov. 16 at Maple and Grove
Read this edition

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