More than 700 students would have to change schools under the proposal, which administrators presented at a board meeting Tuesday. Most Lincolnwood students would move to Willard Elementary, while most Dewey students would attend Lincoln Elementary. Some Lincolnwood students had transferred there after Kingsley Elementary closed last year.

The district estimates the school closures and boundary changes would save about $2.9 million annually. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Beardsley said Lincolnwood was selected in part because schools feeding into Haven Middle School require substantial capital investment, while enrollment in that area has fallen 33%.

Administrators said they would retain the school properties as part of a long-term facilities plan, potentially using them as flexible school sites or renovating them later. Beardsley said the district’s longer-term goal for Lincolnwood would be to seek voter approval for a modernized school.

The plan would also end the School Age Child Care program after this school year. Administrators said it costs $1.95 million and would require a 35% increase in parent fees to break even. Head Start and Early Start programs would be phased out by 2029; officials said those programs cost more than $2 million a year.

The proposed changes would eliminate nearly 90 certified-teacher positions, 129 support positions and eight administrative roles. Chief Financial Officer Eric Miller also proposed increasing the student registration fee by $100 for students whose families do not qualify for free or reduced-price lunches because of financial hardship.

The closures follow other school reductions in the district. Kingsley closed last year, and the board voted in 2024 to close the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, which shut its doors last June. Beardsley told board members that the previous two closures saved $3 million. She also said they avoided $57 million in repairs over 20 years, though staffing accounted for the largest share of projected savings in the district’s cost breakdowns.

Board members raised questions about transportation costs and the effects on special education. Beardsley said updated transportation projections were not yet available and that she would return with information about special-education impacts.

Board member Maria Opdycke said the district’s deficit and enrollment decline reflected decisions made by the district. Interim Superintendent Eric Witherspoon said the proposal addressed structural issues and, if approved, would be the last school-closure proposal for the community.

A board vote is scheduled for Nov. 9. Administrators also plan to pursue a 2028 ballot initiative asking residents to weigh in on how funds should be allocated for the school properties and renovations at remaining schools.