The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education announced the district has reached an agreement with the District 65 Educators’ Council on a new contract for union members at its Monday meeting.
District 65 teachers have worked without a collectively bargained contract since August and have since been working under a continuation of a previous professional agreement.
“The path to this agreement is long, often challenging and filled with unforeseen twists, but it is proof that perseverance and preparation in the bargaining process yield results,” DEC Vice President and Washington Elementary School bilingual instructional coach Emily Castillo-Oh said at the meeting.
Castillo-Oh told The Daily it was difficult for some teachers to return to the classroom this fall without a contract. Negotiations began in March.
Executive Chief of Strategic Communications and Project Management Melissa Messinger said the district was unable to share further details about the contract. She added that the contract could be approved by the board in early December if it is promptly ratified by the union.
The board also presented its preliminary 2024 tax levy Monday night. District 65 is requesting roughly $138.4 million in property tax revenues, excluding debt service. The figure represents a 4.99% increase from last year’s levy, which totaled roughly $131.8 million.
Board Finance Chair Joseph Hailpern said the district should focus on “paring our administration down” instead of relying on raising taxes to reduce the deficit.
“We have to live within our means,” he said.
The district currently faces a roughly $13.2 million deficit, excluding capital projects, in its fiscal year 2025 budget. Following the teachers’ union contract negotiations, debates persist on where the district should make cuts.
The 2025 budget cuts teaching positions and administrative positions. During an Oct. 15 meeting, Board President Sergio Hernandez said the construction of the Foster School would not worsen the district’s structural deficit. Meanwhile, the district has increased its proposed tax levy for the educational fund by nearly $10 million.
Union members urged the district to prioritize students and teachers over administrators and external consultants when making cuts by increasing teacher salaries and decreasing unnecessary administrative positions.
“The biggest investment in our students and in the future of our community and our district is in educators,” District 65 speech language pathologist Lisa Levine said at the meeting.
Multilingual Coordinator Cecilia Romero and Compliance Coordinator Kim Kelly presented an update on the district’s Dual Language program at the meeting. Parents have previously voiced concerns about the district’s plan to close the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, the district’s only school where all K-5 students participate in the Two-Way Immersion program, in 2026.
The Dual Language program, which provides equal Spanish and English language instruction, will move to Haven Middle School in 2026, according to a district presentation.
“We want to make sure that we are completing full biliteracy and making sure that our students who start in our districts are moving on into the high school and out of the high school to be very successful in their life,” Romero said at the meeting.
The district hopes to implement a full pre-K through eighth grade Dual Language program, she added. The multilingual program department will issue final recommendations to the board in September 2025.
Hernandez also reflected on the result of the 2024 presidential election and the effect it could have on Evanston. District 65 will be a “safe haven school district,” protecting students and families from deportation, he said.
“We will not cooperate with any immigration enforcement actions that threaten the safety, civility and well-being of our students and families,” he said.
Hernandez was met by thunderous applause from DEC members and others in attendance.
As District 65 faces financial hardship, its educators remain motivated to serve their students and stand in steadfast opposition to budget cuts that they argue could diminish educational opportunities, Castillo-Oh said.
“Together, we can achieve a District 65 that honors its promises and builds a stronger foundation for generations to come,” she said.
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Related Stories:
— District 65 to keep 7th, 8th grade Bessie Rhodes classrooms open for school year
— District 65 Board of Education passes FY25 budget with $13 million deficit, sets cost-reduction plan
— District 65 student proficiency, achievement gaps higher than state averages, report shows
