The board had been expected to vote Monday night on whether to begin public hearings on the potential closures of Dewey Elementary School and Lincolnwood Elementary School. Instead, district leaders delayed action until next week, spokesperson Melissa Messinger said. Messinger emphasized that the upcoming vote would not immediately shutter either school; a final closure vote would not come until after the public hearing process concludes.

The district is working to trim $20 million from its budget as it grapples with declining enrollment and staff departures. Along with the possible school closures, the board is weighing eliminating more than 200 staff positions and ending an early childhood program.

The proposals drew a crowd of parents, residents and students to the board meeting, many of whom spoke during public comment against the cuts.

"I've grown a huge connection with the Dewey community, and I want to stay with the Dewey community," Elyse Banks, a fourth grader at Dewey Elementary, told the board.

One community member warned that the consequences would extend well beyond the classroom.

"What you are proposing is more than closing a program. You are disrupting children's stability, taking away opportunities, creating uncertainty for families and dismissing the work of educators who have dedicated themselves for years for these children," the resident said.

Jeff Smith, a former Lincolnwood parent, urged the board to reverse course.

"Closing schools or programs must be the last resort," Smith said. "To this board I say reconsider. Reconsider."

The debate comes as districts across the region confront the financial squeeze of shrinking student populations, a trend that has forced difficult choices about which buildings and programs can be sustained. For families in the Dewey and Lincolnwood attendance areas, the coming vote is the first formal step in a process that could reshape their neighborhoods' schools.

The board is now scheduled to take up the question next week.