001The notes one. Yeah. It's uh 7:15 and we're going to commence the public hearing. Roll call. >> Yes. Today's Thursday, January 22nd, 2026. The time is 7:16. Roll call. Pinkard >> here. >> Hernandez here. >> Oakdike >> here. Wymer >> here. >> Wilkins >> here. Anderson >> here. >> Uh we're going to move to um an announcement regarding uh the need for Spanish translation. and espanol. >> Gracias. >> Uh, at this time, 7:16 p.m., the District 65 Board of Education pursuant to Illinois School Code will convene a public hearing on the proposed closure of Kingsley Elementary School and reassignment boundaries at the end of the 2025 2026 school year. We will first have a brief presentation followed by input from the community. >> Good evening. So, we're getting ready to begin our third public hearing
002for the closing of Kingsley Elementary School. Um and so I'm going to turn it over to the district staff who will lead us in um the final presentation for the last hearing. >> Thank you, Dr. Turner. And I just want to open by acknowledging the Kingsley community and thank you for being here tonight. Um, we do understand that these conversations are difficult conversations and uh, this evening we're just going to go forward and share some information previously shared about the Kingsley closure as well as some boundary maps before we hand back to the board. Um, our first slide this evening focuses on the Kingsley scenario that ultimately was processed through our SDRP3 process, reviewed by our facilities subcommittee and ultimately discussed here. What has changed from this slide is that we've removed any programs information
003because we are focused on the Kingsley school closure this evening. And so that is solely the information that's addressed in this slide. Now in the top right hand corner we have what would be the board the boundaries that would be approved with a Kingsley school closure resolution. And the important thing to understand is that district 65 was previously set through board approval to adopt new boundaries next year with the opening of foster school and the closing of Bessie roads. The boundaries that are being brought forward with a potential school closure for f uh for Kingsley mirror many of the changes that were in those previously approved board boundaries with the additional adjustments for a Kingsley school closure. Should we move forward with the closure and this boundary map, boundaries most significantly do change up in
004the Haven feeder pattern. But it's important to understand that there are adjustments in the boundaries for all of the schools in the Haven feeder pattern, all of the schools in the Nicholls feeder pattern as well as for Lincoln in the sorry as well as for Walker in the chute feeder pattern. So if we take a quick look, we notice that essentially the Kingsley boundary and I'll slide to the next slide which is a little clearer for the Kingsley community, Kingsley is actually they're being reassigned to receiving four different receiving schools. Families that live east of Green Bay are be would be assigned to Orington. Families that live north of Central would be assigned to Willard. Families that live between McCormack and Central and west of Green Bay would be assigned to Lincolnwood and families that
005are south of McCormack would be assigned to Foster School. Now, this is just a further zoom in on those attendance boundaries. On our district website, we are putting up a Google map that is interactive that allows families to put their addresses in to be able to see where they would specifically sit with the reassignments of um should we move forward with this decision to close Kingsley. I'm now going oh I um additionally when we think about boundaries as we've discussed with the board through our SDRP3 process when we do assignments we need to consider some exceptions that have been previously approved as well as there's an exception here that was brought to us by this board. There's a foster exception which speaks to the fact that families that are in that foster area could continue
006at their existing schools. To do that, families would need to complete a permissive transfer in order to communicate that that is their intent. That was a board recommendation and commitment in March of 2022. Our existing school board in November and December of 2025 also requested the possibility of a seventh and eighth grade legacy exception. This would allow our students in, for example, the Haven feeder pattern if they were to be assign reassigned to Nickels to continue in seventh and eighth grade at their existing middle school. that one will be applied automatically so that students that are currently in sixth and seventh grade will continue in their existing middle schools despite boundary changes. And then there was an existing board approved resolution from June of 2024 which speaks about the Bessie roads community having preference into
007Foster. So the resolution for Kingsley closure includes new boundaries and holds these resolution these commitments. there are exceptions as well. I'm now going to hand to Dr. Spec. >> So, I want to just talk about how we're planning to um support students, families, and educators um during times of transition. Um as the assistant superintendent of academics, the departments, the teams that I have are climate and safety, multilingual, IEES, schools management, programs and partnerships, curriculum and instruction, and MTSS and interventions. This team meets every week for two hours and our focus will continue to be on supporting our schools and school communities during transitions. So this work includes ongoing seal support for students through culture and climate. Um one of the ways we're doing that here's an example is that we've got um we're working with
008bringing face liaison throughout the district so students to get can get to know a familiar face to a new school they're going to. So an example is of this is that two of our face liaison have been working with the foster transition team and principal Bquel so they can get to know the students who are coming transitioning to foster. Um our multilingual and IEES teams are continuing their collaboration to coordinate with each other to develop student centered academic plans. They're in the same room often. Um we're going to work together to support leaders to develop student centered schedules. This means that we focus on building schedules that meet the needs of all students and the initial focus of those SK those scheduling needs are IIEES and multilingual students. Um we currently have two open houses
009scheduled for each of our schools and these will give families an opportunities to just get to know each other and to get to know their new school communities. We're also going to work with school leaders to schedule meet and greets for incoming families. And there's um sorry and there's a current family event scheduled for foster for February 4th. We will have additional foster family engagement sessions scheduled in March, but foster is kind of unique because they don't have a building yet. So, we're having opportunities for the families to get together at Lake Fleetwood Jordane. Um we're working with the registration team to schedule enrollment information and support sessions for families. We want to make sure that each receiving school has welcoming swag bags and has kind of that welcome wagon effort to make sure that
010transition new school new students are transitioning into a welcoming environment. Our receiving schools will also create a buddy and a mentoring system to welcome new students. Um we value the partnership of the PTA and the the collaboration of the community. So we'll continue to reach out to community groups to develop outreach plans for receiving schools. And we're also going to work with schools to ensure their end of year celebrations, especially as we're closing one chapter and opening other chapters. This is a list of all of our open houses. And as I say, just wanted to reiterate, as I mentioned, there's two for each school. You'll see one for Foster, but we will be scheduling another one for March. Um, providing an opportunity for families to get to know Principal Burquel and the amazing things that
011are going to be happening at Foster. Dr. Beersley. >> All right, couple more slides. Um, we want to frame a little bit of what the community can expect. Um, regardless of a decision on Kingsley closure, we do move into new boundaries. During the week of February 2nd, all families will receive a school assignment email for every student that you have enrolled in the district. And that is for students that are currently enrolled. That will share the assignment for your student for the next year. During the month of February, we are asking families to acknowledge receipt of that email by logging into power school parent and either accepting the school assignment or requesting a permissive transfer or a return to home school. When we send this communication out, we are planning on providing video support. We're
012also provi planning on providing some in-person support places particularly for our schools that are most impacted during conference week and the following week um to support families to understand the options that they may have and help families understand how they execute those options by March 1st. The deadline for permissive transfers is March 1st, 2026. And so we are asking families to complete this process by that date. to put this date in context with kind of the broader range of events. We know it's important for families to understand when you might learn about a determination on a tr permissive transfer request or return to home school. So, what we're looking at is those school assignments go out the week of February 2nd. We work to support families at conferences during the week of February 9th. We're
013also looking to schedule at least one to two other community events to support families in navigating this process. March 1st, that deadline for permissive transfers and acting on our email. And by April 1, we're working to make our initial determinations for permissive transfers and for nonk and non6th twe or dual language applications. And the reason why we wouldn't determine a kindergarten application is we are just opening our kindergarten registration window and twe applicants need to execute a language screening our TWWS students prior to us building those cohorts. And so that happens later in the spring. So April 1st is when we would get back to families on the initial peri per permissive transfer requests. Our response would look like accepting that permissive transfer request, declining that permissive transfer request, or we may wait list. A
014wait list would indicate we would like to be able, we cannot yet due to capacity say yes. So, we're holding it in hopes that we can grant that permissive transfer request a little bit later in our cycle. >> Elissa, >> thank you. So, this is just a snapshot of the required public hearings that were held um according to Illinois school code. We are in our third and final public hearing. Um this evening uh starting at 8:45 p.m. the board will host a special meeting to vote on the resolution for the closure of Kingsley Elementary. >> Okay, we're going to move into our public comment portion. Uh I'm going to read some guidelines for the public comment and they will be strictly enforced. Uh guidelines for public hearings on the proposed school closure will govern public
015comments for today's public meeting. Members of the public are welcome and invited to address the board during the public hearing. An individual may not sign up for other persons to speak or speak on behalf of another person. Speakers may not yield their time to another person. Handheld posters will not be allowed in the room during a public hearing as it may obstruct the view of audience members. When an individual is called to speak, the individual shall proceed promptly to the microphone area while they will have three minutes to present the remarks to the board. The time limit per speaker will be enforced to ensure that all members of the public who signed up to speak can present their comments. If you are speaking and the timer sounds, you will be asked to complete your sentence
016and yield the podium to the next speaker. If there is time available after all public comments have been completed, those who are unable to complete their comments will have an opportunity to do so until the time allotted for the public hearing is completed. Given the sole purpose of public hearing of the public hearing is to discuss the proposed recommendation to close Kingsley Elementary School, the board expects that speakers will limit their statements to those related to the topic at hand. The board values and welcomes courteous, respectful, and civil behavior from all speakers and all individuals in attendance at the public hearing. Profane language and disruptive behavior are prohibited. Individuals who are disruptive may be given a warning or may be also be removed from the public hearing. If there are questions that arise as part
017of the comments, the board and administration will attempt to answer them in a future communication or later meeting. We will call up to five people at a time to give individuals an opportunity to make their way to the podium. >> We'll start with West Needle, Jun Jun D'vorick, Carrie D'vorick, Quinn McNamera, and Lauren McNamera. >> Hi. Um, I was not planning on going first, but uh I will not have as many fireworks as last night. I promise. Um, my name is uh Wes Needle. Um, I'm a Kingsley parent. Uh, I'm been a teacher for 14 years. Um, I'm from Evston. I love Evston. Uh, this is where I want to raise my kids. And even with all the turmoil that's happened, I still love this community. Um, I appreciate the presentation that was given. Um,
018some of the ideas that were in there I thought did a really nice job to welcome um, our kids to their new schools next year. So, I appreciate that. Um, one part of that that was missing that I do want to highlight is where we're at with teachers. Um, I know speaking from with current and former teachers that I think there's been some frustration in the years past with how they've gotten moved from schools to schools and how they've been treated by certain administrators. Um, I think you as a new board have a really good opportunity to listen to them and to change that. Um, especially right now with these Kingsley teachers, amazing Kingsley teachers. um you have a chance really to listen to them, collaborate with them, and put them in a good place
019next year. So, I hope you guys are willing to do so. Um the rest of my speech, parts of it were a little more negative, so I think I want to switch it up a little bit. Um I think a frustration that a lot of us have had during this process is we have not felt heard by everybody. that some have collaborated, listened, worked with us, and that hasn't necessarily been the case for everybody um at this point, right? That's the past. I want to move forward, but I really hope that we can have collaboration. You can hear from the Kingsley community, listen to us, work with us, all six, soon to be seven board members, um, superintendent, administration, like that's what I really truly hope we can get from this moving forward. Um, I
020think that it's been a little Well, I'll skip that. Um, so that that's what I hope. I know that there was a survey sent out by some Kingsley parents last week. I hope that you guys can look at that. Um, take that feedback. There was a couple other surveys. I know there's some meetings that are going to happen next week. You guys are going to vote tonight, but I hope that you can hold off on other final decisions such as boundaries and um um permissive transfers and how that goes until you hear a little bit more from the community and get that feedback because I do think people have a lot of good ideas and we do want to work with everybody. So, thank you. Have a good night. Hi, my name is June D'vorak.
021I am a second grader at Kingsley Elementary. I love the teachers and I hope they find good schools. And I feel bad for my sister because she will not get a chance to be at Kingsley. I want the teachers to be treated fairly. I also wish for the kids who were supposed to go to Kingsley have good schools. Thank you. >> Ready? Hi, I'm Carrie D'vorak. I am not much of a public speaker, but I'm here because of peer pressure um from the second grader that you just heard from. Unfortunately, I am not quite as well prepared as she was, so bear with me. Um board, many of you have heard from me over the last several months. I, like I said, I'm not much of a public speaker, but I have reached out and
022emailed. And I just want to thank those of you, the few of you who did reach back out to me and interact. I I really appreciate the engagement. Um, I'd like to just start out by saying I'm so proud of the Kingsley community. I'm so grateful that I've gotten to be a part of it. Ironically, more now than ever. Um, I think throughout the SDRP process, we knew that hard decisions would have to be made and we knew that they would likely impact us. And in spite of that, I feel like our community engaged in a meaningful and respectful way. Uh, what I'm here tonight to ask is that the board and the administration engage with us in a meaningful and respectful way. I don't personally feel that that I felt that to date. Um
023and so I think there are some tangible things that can be done from here forward to do that. One of those would be to commit to granting permissive transfers that are requested. I've I've sat in the meeting and heard for months about how underutilized our schools are. Um so therefore it doesn't seem like it should be a problem to honor those permissive transfer requests on the Haven feeder pattern. Um, I would also say please have the hard conversations and engage with Kingsley parents about how we want to see the school closed and what we want to see for our children. I know a big thing for me I'm I'm super excited with all the PTA engagement. I think it's great that that the parents have activated so quickly and have many have been especially Lincolnwood.
024I've heard a lot from Lincolnwood parents of how open and excited they are to welcome us. I think it's really important that some of this stuff happens during school hours so that we can be sure that all kids get a chance to participate and be excited about their new school placement. I think all of the kids deserve that and if a lot of it happens outside of school hours, I'm concerned that they won't all get the chance to do that. Um, I also ask that we make sure to have important 504 and IEP uh transfer meetings. This is really important to me. I want to make sure that we understand that there's going to be continuity in how those plans are treated um at our new school. And then lastly, I would say just please
025don't shy away from these hard conversations. I see this a lot and and I think that you know I just taking a step back. I work in a corporate environment. I run I lead a really big global team and I have to have really happy conversations some days and really hard and life-changing conversations with folks other days. And I don't get to opt out. I don't get to decide to be there or not be there. Um, up until this point, I I didn't even actually know that we had a board liaison because I have never met any of you personally. I have not seen any anyone at my school. Um, and so I ask you to really rethink that engagement and how you're interacting with the Kingsley community. Thanks for your time. Hello, my name
026is Quinn McNamera and I am a current third grade Kingsley student and I'm here to remind you that you work for us, the children at these schools and I'm afraid that you are forgetting that. My concern is that you're separating us from our friends and our teachers and we will have to start the friend process all over again. So, I ask that you give us more transferring abilities for kids. And I also ask that teachers can still have jobs and please once in a while remind yourself who you work for. Thank you for your time. Hi, my name is Lauren McNamera. I am a Kingsley parent of this young lady here and also a Haven parent and a member of the Legion of Data Nerds. Um, my day job is in healthcare and there's a
027term in that industry, barriers to care. uh three public hearings booked over two days conflicting with a district orchestra concert and the workday is an excellent example of a barrier to feedback. Uh to reach the community where they are, Kingsley parents ran a survey. The next few speakers and I summarized findings from this survey conducted over four days in the last week to capture the perspectives of current, prospective, and former Kingsley families following the board of education's decision to initiate the school closure process for Kingsley. The survey received 120 responses, approximately a 25% response rate from primarily current Kingsley parents and was designed to inform district 65 leaders about community priorities related to boundary setting, student placement, transition supports, and families intent to remain in the district. Survey results show strong alignment between Kingsley families
028and the district's proposed attendance boundaries. A large majority of respondents, 75% identified walkability, safety, and ease of access as the most important factors in setting future boundaries. This is a good thing. Um, but please attend to the next speaker. 69% indicated that their assigned school under the proposed boundaries is also their preferred school for 2026 to 27. But it's also noteworthy that when asked which Haven feeder pattern the school the respondent would prefer, Lincolnwood was by far the top preferred school at 52% of respondents, followed by Willard at 17%. Next we have Colleen Egan, Kate Kate Proto, Julie Hunes, Michelle Shoemaker, Lindsay Jernigan. Hello, my name is Colleen Egan. I'm the parent of two current Kingsley students and one Haven student. Today I want to continue speaking about the Legion of Data Nerds survey results
029as well as some additional thoughts I put together with fellow Kingsley parent and SDRP member Robin Telander. Respondents from the survey simultaneously expressed concern about the potential loss of Kingsley's close-knit community. 75% of the survey respondents either prioritized maximizing the number of students who remain together or offering flexibility for families to choose the school that works best for them. There was an overwhelming support 78% for an approach you using the recently presented boundaries with guaranteed placement for current Kingsley students at a designated receiving school. Guaranteed placement means the district commits to placement early on as opposed to permissive transfer which may be approved or denied just days before the school year. Among families supportive of the guaranteed placement, Lincolnwood was the clear preferred placement school with 58% of respondents indicating their preference for Lincolnwood. We've
030been told permissive transfers will be difficult, that availability may be unknown until days before school starts, and that administrative capacity is limited. No parent wants to do that to their child after their school closes. And no family should have to spend their entire summer not knowing where their child is going to school in the fall. What families are asking for is certainty. Specifically, we are asking for number one, we be given a new Kingsley liaison immediately due to ours not once reaching out to our community. Two, boundaries stay the same after the closure vote. Three, incoming fifth graders be guaranteed placement together at Lincolnwood if requested. Four, the Legion the Legacy Kingsley students who wish to join them will also be guaranteed placement until the school reaches appropriate utilization. just like Bessie Rhodess was given.
031Five, early and coordinated planning with students with IEPs and 504s. And number six, to please provide our Kingsley teachers with the support and resources they need and are asking for as they prepare their classrooms and trans transition to their new roles within the district. What Kingsley families are asking for is not special treatment. They are asking for predictability, stability, and a transition process that centers on the children instead of the administrative logistics. It's about offering a humane option for families who need continuity. Thank you. Hello everyone. Um, my name is Kate Proto and I am also a Kingsley and Haven parent. This seems to be a theme here. Um and I will be continuing on with some of the discussion of the findings from uh the survey. Um in the survey, families strongly emphasized the
032importance of proactive early transition support. The most valued support included school tours and open houses, which we are so excited to see today, um at at a rate of 85%, classroom visits prior to the first day of school at 80%, early social and community building events at 75%, opportunities to meet teachers and staff at 68% and continuity of relationships both with peers and trustly Kingsley trusted Kingsley educators at 76%. Um, and as many folks have spoken to already, parents of students with IEPs or 504 plans highlighted the need for early and coordinated transition planning, and many respondents underscored the importance of continuity in before and after school programming. Finally, survey results highlight broader risks to district district retention if community concerns are not addressed. While many families intend to remain in district 65, and I
033am certainly one of them, uh, respondents did site lack of trust in district leadership, insufficient transparency and communication, dissatis dissatisfaction with the SDRP process, and fear of additional school closures as leading reasons families might consider leaving the district if it came to that. Across open-ended responses, the dominant themes were anxiety about relationship disruption. uncertainty about future stability and a desire for empathy, clarity, and consistent communication throughout the transition process. Thank you. I'm Julie Hannes. I'm a parent of a Kingsley student and a Haven student. Uh moved to Evston the first week of pandemic lockdown. It's a lonely time. It was a really scary time. there was so much turnover going from um you know in-person first grade to all of a sudden online. Our kids have been through a lot. Um I'm going to finish
034the summary of the survey that we've got and I just have one more personal note, but in summary, these findings suggest that Kingsley families largely support the district's decision and boundary framework. However, when deciding where students go to school next year, the answer isn't as simple as drawn boundaries. People want to keep cohorts together, but not at the expense of a more walkable, safe route to school. Boundaries that uphold walkability and safe routes coupled with guaranteed placement gives families the agency needed to balance both. Successful implementation of Kingsley's closure will depend on policies and transition plans that intentionally preserve community connections, provide early certainty around placement, and deliver robust student centered transition support. On a personal note, moving here during lockdown, our neighborhood school transformed isolation into community, connecting us with neighbors who became friends
035and gave us support during its uncertain times. Our kids need that more than ever today. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Michelle Shoemaker. My husband and I are parents of a Kingsley fourth grader and a Haven sixth grader. I'm not going to talk about the survey, but I'm going to talk a little bit about school transition and my lived experience with school transition. In 2021, we were a Lincolnwood family. We moved just three blocks from our previous home and requested permissive transfer so that our then second grader and entering Kingsley, I'm sorry, entering kindergartenner could stay at Lincolnwood, which we could see from our house. We were told permissive transfer was a simple process and usually approved. It was co and we needed some stability. Late in the summer, our transfer was denied
036without appeal and our kids were assigned at Kingsley. Our children's experienced a rush transition. We didn't have the opportunity for kindergarten playdates or to meet new families or build community. and my second grader didn't have the opportunity to walk the halls of his new school or find a buddy to play with. They walked into Kingsley their first day very bravely with with little information or preparation about what their new community would mean to them and frankly the transition was not easy on our family. Fortunately, we've had an incredible experience at Kingsley and we are so grateful. We're crushed. This community will be broken up. We accept the decision and believe it's the right thing to do. My fifth grader will go to Lincolnwood with the proposed boundaries and we support this. My ask is to
037please do not underestimate the impact of transition on these small children. I saw a lot of bullet points up on that slide. Please take those seriously. Please invest in transition to make sure that this can happen seamlessly for all of the kids that are impacted. To support a successful transition, please guarantee placement. go farther than permissive transfer by April 1 so that transitions are not rushed, including for those small number of students in the survey that indicated they wanted to finish out their elementary years with a cohort of their friends they may not be assigned to. It's a small gesture that will bring us closure and certainty that this community desperately needs. And please do the same for our teachers and grant them the same timeline. Thank you. Hi. Uh, my name is Lindsay Jernigan.
038I'm a Kingsley parent with children in fourth grade, second grade, and kindergarten. For more than a year, our school community has lived with uncertainty about the possibility of closure and what that could mean for our students. Now that Kingsley's closure appears all but certain, that uncertainty about what comes next for us has not gone away. Kingsley students are set to be split across four different schools and one of those schools is still facing the possibility of closure the following year. Tonight, I'm asking the board and administration to prioritize clear, reliable guidance on what options families have moving forward. Families are trying to find a path back to stability and continuity for our children. Something this SDRP process has significantly undermined. Clear action on the following items would go a long way in helping families make
039informed decisions about where our children should go next year. Please appoint a dedicated board liaison immediately to work directly with families on creating class cohort lists for the 202627 school year. Please grant permissive transfer priority for fifth grade families who wish to keep students together for their final year of elementary school. Please extend that permissive transfer priority to siblings so that families who choose to prioritize maintaining their kids' existing communities are not separated across different elementary schools. Please provide a clear plan for how classrooms will be packed up. Specifically, who will be responsible, when it will happen, and how it will be managed. Families and staff need assurances that packing will occur only after instruction is complete, will not disrupt school day, and that staff will be adequately supported and compensated for their time and
040labor. Finally, please ensure that staff and educators are given meaningful agency in determining where they will go next year with the goal of preserving continuity for both them and their students wherever possible. We can't undo what led to this closure, but starting now, you can help ensure that our students, families, and staff are treated with care, dignity, and clarity in what comes next. Thank you. Next we have Cheryl Curus, Kathy Katie Shapiro, Jason Orof, Evelyn Angstrom, Kayla Buggera. Hello, my name is Cheryl Kyus. I'm the parent of a first grader at Kingsley. He's right there. and I'm a public high school teacher in my 18th year of teaching. I'm here to show my support for the Kingsley community during this difficult time. I think there is a misconception out there that Kingsley families have just
041been resigned to the fact that the school should close. I sincerely wish past school boards and administrations would have made different decisions years ago so that my son would still be able to go to Kingsley, which we have come to love. I'm deeply disappointed in how this school closure process has played out. The first semester of this school year was very difficult with all of the uncertainty. Then to say that no schools would close and then to go back on that a few weeks later was incredibly heartbreaking and confusing. I am hoping that everyone making these decisions now will work very hard to make sure that Kingsley students and Bessie Road students and Willard Twe students and any students and educators changing schools are supported to the fullest extent possible. I believe that this includes
042giving Kingsley families the choice about where their where to send their child to elementary school within the Haven feeder pattern. I have had conversations with several Kingsley parents and those of us who will be zoned for Lincolnwood next year are very concerned that the school will close during the following school year and then our children will have to move schools twice in two years. It is also deeply distressing to me that Kingsley kids are being proposed to split into four different schools, splitting up the friendships and communities built here at Kingsley. Um, I moved schools twice in elementary school, so I know firsthand how difficult that is from a student lens. I've also taught at three different schools in my career, so I also know about the difficulty of moving schools from an educator lens.
043It takes a lot of time to acclimate to a new school, longer than you may realize. My family moved to Evston partially for the schools. And while I absolutely love my son's teachers, this year he has Miss Nicholson and the people that work at Keinsley, I'm deeply disappointed in and kind of shocked at how the school district is being run currently. I can't imagine how the educators at Kingsley and Bessie Roads have been feeling all year, and my heart goes out to them. Please, please, please do better for our students and for them. I echo sentiments to keep Kinsley as a flex school when doing maintenance on the other schools. I can't imagine that there's much outside interest in buying land that's right next to a middle school. Anyway, I truly hope that you incorporate
044the comments that you have heard throughout these public hearings into timely and clear plans that will help everyone move forward in a respectful and empathetic manner. Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Katie Shapiro. I'm the parent of three kids at Kingsley and one Kingsley graduate who's now in sixth grade at Haven and I'm speaking on behalf of the Kingsley PTA executive committee. We we reached out to the district administration and board last week with some requests from the Kingsley community and I'd like to follow up here on some of these points along with some of the information we've heard in these hearings. One request was that the district hold information sessions with Kingsley families following the vote and we're encouraged that those meetings have been scheduled for next week. Importantly though, a second request was that
045there would be opportunity for two-way feedback with the Kingsley community during those meetings and in other ways. Kingsley families have been processing this closure for a long time and understand the rationale, but we haven't had a chance for real questions to be answered about things like transfer requests and the criteria for approving those. As many have said nicely tonight, we and Carrie said so nicely, we don't have a capacity problem. So, it's hard to understand why those requests those transfer requests would not be approved. It would be a missed opportunity if these sessions are just exercises for families to process the closure and not a real and frank conversation about what comes next and what support families need in this transition to manage the disruption and what commitments the district and the board are willing
046to make to acknowledge this disruption. Now that we've reached the point in this process where a specific school is slated for closure, the time has come for real engagement with Kingsley with the Kingsley community. We'd like a point person, someone we can count on to answer emails and with questions and feedback, ideally from the district and the board, which would go a long way in showing support for the Kingsley families and staff. Additionally, we asked for a comprehensive plan for making students feel secure and welcomed in their new school. We saw a lot of ideas up on the slide tonight, many that overlap with ideas that PTAs across the district are beginning to work on as well. That's another reason why two-way communication is so important. As a PTA uh member in a school that's
047slated for closure, I was surprised to hear about engagement with PTA groups because there hasn't been any outreach so far. Finally, we requested that our amazing Kingsley staff members be prioritized in this process. I work in HR, so I'm well aware of the process. There will be a process and contract rules to follow, but there are ways to ease this transition. So the onus of moving schools, packing up classrooms, which in some cases have been cultivated over decades, and transitioning to new classrooms, possibly new grade levels, is not made into a burden for the Kingsley teachers to carry. I think it's fair to say the Kingsley community has handled this process with grace and been respectful of the fact that our school will be impacted directly by the changes made and the realities facing our
048district. That's one thing I love so much about the Kingsley community. There's a kindness, a humility, and a cleareyed practical nature that has gotten us through this challenging time. This is the moment to capitalize on those strengths and engage this community in a new chapter in District 65. Hi, my name is Evelyn Angstrom. I'm in fourth grade and Mr. How's class at Kingsley Elementary. And today I'm going to talk about Kingsley and our staff. It would make me very sad if you shut down our school. It holds many memories for everyone who is in the school, such as hanging out and working together on field day and playing together as a school on the last day of school. We all look forward to moments such as small tall ball and penny wars. Regardless of position
049in the school, we all have different amazing memories. But if you do decide to close the school, please make sure you get all every single one of Kingsley's staff in a good place at either one of the other schools or better. Thank you. Hi, I'm Caleb Ogira. I am a fourth grader at Kingsley Elementary and I think Kingsley is a very good school. Me and my friends have made lots of good memories there. And all of the teachers there are the best part because they help us learn and are always there to help. If Kingsley does close, please make sure the teachers and staff know where they are going next year. Kingsley is like a second home to me. It it is where I made close friends and new friends and I don't want to
050go to a different school than them. Kingsley is the best school to grow up in in the most welcoming school I could ever I was ever at. And I want to thank my teacher Mr. How for teaching me so much every day. Every day I come to school really excited to be there and ready to learn. Somehow my teacher Mr. How makes learning even are entertaining and fun, but still in a way where we can learn so much. Every teacher at Kingsley is an important part of Kingsley, and that is what makes Kingsley so unique. Thank you. We have Peter Boggera and Patrick Hess and Jason Orof. the chair. Uh, one thing I want to say right off the bat is I know these are really long days and I know that this isn't just
051hard for us. In some ways, it's hard for you all too. So, I want to just say a quick uh appreciation for you all being here and investing the time in this. Um, I recognize that tonight's vote is about closure and boundaries, not assignments. But the resolution, um, as part of the agenda also directs the administration to implement a thoughtful transition plan. And for families, the hardest part of that transition is uncertainty. I want to urge the board to hold the administration to clear expectations around implementation, how capacity is defined, how competing boundary and closure impacts are prioritized through permissive transfer, and critically when families can expect final decisions rather than sitting in an open-ended weight listed status for months on end. Families didn't choose this disruption. We deserve timely, predictable answers so we can
052plan for for our children with some measure of confidence. I hope that expectation is made explicit as this moves forward. I also want to offer one broader reflection as the board takes this vote. This decision can't just be about managing next year's budget next year. It needs to be a call to action to articulate a multi-year vision that the community can actually get behind, especially given that we are very likely going to ask this community to support a referendum in the not too distant future. That ask shouldn't be framed as another emergency measure, but as part of a clear strategy to stabilize the district and reduce the likelihood of additional school closures in the future. It should be an opportunity to be clear-headed about where we see this district going, what we're rebuilding toward, and
053what families can tangibly expect in return academically, culturally, and structurally. In other words, this moment should be about more than keeping the lights on. It should be about putting the light back on in the lighthouse and giving the community a reason to believe in where District 65 is headed, not just what it's trying to avoid. I hope that tonight's vote is paired with that longerterm clarity because that's what will ultimately determine whether families stay, re-engage, and say yes when we ask to them to invest again. Thank you. So, I'm I'm glad you are bringing this to a close tonight, as I'm sure you all are, too. And like the first speaker, I had a lot of big emotions through this process. And when it came out, the charges and the felonies came out for Dr.
054important. It gave me a chance to think about how he could steal a half a million dollars from our school district and put us into bankruptcy and just exactly what all those big emotions are about because I looking back over the decade, I have been afraid of you people. I walked into kindergarten with my child and you canceled Halloween. Sure, there were tears. There were schools full of tears because you canceled Halloween and the kids couldn't dress up with their friends. But there were also death threats to our principal, Michelle Cooney. And she was one of the best principles we've ever met. Also, every time I let go of his hand, I didn't know what was going to happen because there were all those people making death threats and all the anger in the community.
055To what purpose? There was also fear that you might cancel my boys and I because of what happened to the boys at Haven when Dr. Horton accused them of generational racial hatred. And those two boys were pillaried. Their parents lost their jobs and they were run out of town. I was feared that that I I was afraid that that would happen to me too. So after this process where you have pit school against school and divided our community further, I'm glad that there's no children here in tears. But I do love Evston and I do want to see public schools survive. And I think that depends much on what you do next. Your success or failure is going to depend on what you do next. And there's three things that I would like to just
056offer. So first, invest in our schools. I know that money is scary and when you're running low, it gets really scary. But if you keep cutting things and closing things, you will eventually run out of things to cut and close. We don't have enough schools to close to cover this deficit. There has to be other avenues that you have to pursue. And also among the other things that scared me in here in district 65 is that the fourth light fixture fell on us during the SPDR process. You have to be able to address a long-term plan for renovations. And I've handed out something which you can all look at. There's an example from Maryland of a school district that is doing just that. And the last thing is with the land acknowledgement that you read
057every time. Those people are not extinct. They live in Wisconsin. >> Thank you. >> On the back there's contacts. >> Thank you. >> And they're looking forward to an invitation to come forward. Uh, hi. I'm uh Patrick Hess. Uh, I'm a parent of a rising kindergartener. So, I'm in a slightly different situation than a lot of these parents. Uh, I have a lot of sympathy for their situation above my situation. Um, and I also empathize with your situation. I was a teacher for a year, the longest year of my life. Got out of that real quick. Um, I don't envy where you all are and I think it's it's worth just giving you all a little bit of space and empathy for a moment. Um, to to the parents and to everyone in this room.
058It's been a lot for everyone. Um, I think the points everyone made I I couldn't make those any better than they've already been made. Uh in particular, what resonated with me is this Kingsley liaison concept. Uh the automatic permissive transfer and to do so very expeditiously. Um really just kindness and transparency for staff. I'm a realist. I I don't I don't think that every single Kingsley teacher is going to have a job next year in the district. That's part of the that's part of the point is to save money and staff costs money. So I think just approaching that as kind kind with kindness and transparency and dignity um will be important. Um some ideas that we maybe touched on but didn't talk about super significantly would be what is the plan B if we
059do have to close more schools. People have brought that up but I think let's get ahead of that. What does that look like? Which is the most likely school to me it seems it's Lincolnwood. If these kids have to transfer twice in a short period of time, that would be pretty devastating. But let's be let's let's plan. Let's not ignore it because if that unfolds, it'll be pretty pretty ugly. Um what are we going to do with the land? Um I live like I could throw a baseball to Kingsley and it matters a lot to us and to the people near us what happens to that land. So like let's let's start talking about that. Obviously, there's bigger fish to fry in this very moment, but I'd like to be involved in that process. Um,
060as I mentioned, I have a rising kindergartener and then uh a daughter who's two years younger. Um, that like I said, I I I certainly empathize with the parents who are in Kingsley right now much more than my own situation. But I would it I would not assume that everyone is just cool with their new transfers, right? Like everyone in their mind thought they were going to Kingsley and now they're not. And so um any just even information on the website about what options are available to us would be very helpful. Um and again flexibil flexibility above all um for us for the the parents that are and children who are already in the school and future generations to come just flexibility until we get through this over the next few years. Thank you. Okay.
061Okay. That concludes our um public comment. I want to thank everyone for their participation at tonight's public hearing. Uh tonight's special board meeting that will start at 8:45. The board will be voting for the proposed closure of Kingsley Elementary and reassignment of attendance area boundaries. At this time, I move to conclude today's public hearing at 8:09. >> Second it. >> Pinker, >> yes. >> Hernandez, >> yes. >> Wymer, >> yes. Wilkins. >> Yes. >> Anderson. >> Yes.