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District 65 launches phase 3 of strategic deficit reduction with community steering committee
Summary
District consultants and staff outlined phase 3 of a strategic deficit reduction plan that will use community subcommittees to develop criteria and scenarios addressing budget shortfalls, aging facilities and declining enrollment.
Consultants and District 65 staff presented a roadmap on Wednesday for phase 3 of the district’s strategic deficit reduction plan, outlining community engagement, subcommittee work and a timeline that could lead to board decisions about facility use or consolidation in late 2025 with possible implementation in fall 2026.
Dr. Harkin, a consultant facilitating the phase 3 process, told the board the phase will focus on three areas: balancing the budget to restore financial sustainability, addressing aging facilities (while aligning facilities work with the sustainability plan), and responding to declining enrollment to optimize programming for students. "The purpose of phase 3 is really focused on three areas," Dr. Harkin said, describing an approach that brings facilities, budget and program planning together.
Staff described a process that begins with forming a community steering committee and three subcommittees—programs, facilities and finance—meeting April 9 through June 30 to develop criteria and initial recommendations. The facilities subcommittee will evaluate school capacity, program locations and facility improvements; staff emphasized that the April–June phase will develop evaluation criteria and building data, not decisions to close or consolidate schools.
Consultants and staff said internal work will continue over the summer, with the district returning to community-facing work in September–December to refine scenarios. Dr. Harkin and a board member both stressed that the earliest any consolidation decision could take effect would be the fall of 2026 and that any closure would follow the board’s formal decision-making process and, if required, public hearings.
Board members urged the process to embed the district’s racial equity impact assessment at the outset, to prioritize clear communications and to plan thoughtfully for student transitions and special-education considerations. Staff said they will include the equity impact tool in the first meetings and build transition planning templates (communication, IEP continuity, staffing and transportation) before any final decisions are made.
The board was reminded that this is a facilitation process: the final decisions will rest with the elected board. The district set a goal to return to financial sustainability and to bring forward 3–5 scenarios for board consideration in the fall.
