Residents urge council to pause District 65 school closures, preserve Lincolnwood and neighborhood open space

Dozens of residents used the public comment period at the Oct. 20 Evanston City Council meeting to press elected officials on proposed school closures in District 65 and to ask the city to press pause on any sale or repurposing of neighborhood school property.

Speakers described Lincolnwood Elementary as a neighborhood asset used daily for recreation and learning and urged the council to coordinate more closely with the school district and the public before any final decisions are implemented. Several commenters said closing the school and selling the property would eliminate informal parkland and place longer term burdens on families who walk and bike to their neighborhood school.

David Ivy, a Sixth Ward resident, asked the council to "preserve Lincolnwood as an active neighborhood elementary school and community asset," saying closure would increase transportation costs and commute times for…