Evanston, Ill. (WLS) — Plans to close schools within the Evanston-Skokie District 65 appear to be on hold as the school board remains at an impasse over which schools to shut down to address a significant budget shortfall.

Once more, the District 65 school board found itself deadlocked on Monday night, unable to agree on whether to close one or two schools at the conclusion of this academic year. As it stands, the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies is the only school likely to close next spring.

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In a repeat of last month’s meeting, board members were divided on proposals to either close just Kingsley Elementary School or both Kingsley and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools. This ongoing uncertainty has sparked concern among community members, including a district psychologist.

“Consider your adult experiences since 2016. This is the entire span of these children’s lives and the environment they have been growing up in,” expressed Dr. David Hauser, a parent with two children attending district schools. “These children don’t need any more upheaval or chaos. We’re discussing school closures like business consultants, with a mentality of ‘move fast and break things,’ disregarding the real experiences of our current K-5 students.”

The board did reach a unanimous decision not to proceed with a plan that would have shut down both Kingsley and Willard Elementary Schools.

The repeated tie votes make it likely that no action will be taken this year, because Illinois law requires the district to hold three public hearings on each school set for closure by winter break, which starts after Dec. 19.

Proposed closures are part of the district’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan, which will involve approximately $11-$15 million in budget cuts before fiscal year 2030.